The Apple of My Eye
by SassyRassy
Summary: The portal between Fairytale Land and Storybrooke is open and only Regina can keep everyone safe from Cora. As she prepares to face her mother she must also face her demons, and a carefully guarded secret, to truly redeem herself. "Power is seductive, but so is love."
1. Chapter 1: The Council

"The Apple of My Eye"

This FanFiction is centered on Regina and attempts to explain the reason she adopted Henry and the significance of her apple tree. It follows cannon through Season 2 episode 5 (The Doctor), then AU after that. It is assumed that by the beginning of this story a portal now exists between Fairytale Land and Storybrooke. Cora does not control the portal, but she knows that Emma has opened it and she is trying desperately to get to it. Several characters from Storybrooke have been selected to serve as a council, tasked with devising a plan to defeat Cora.

Chapter 1: The Council

The council was gathered around a large table in the Great Hall of Snow White and Prince Charming's former palace, now the location of the entrance to the portal. Ruby, Grumpy, Archie, Charming, Snow, Emma, Regina, and the Blue Fairy all sat discussing what could be done to stop Cora and her evil plans.

Grumpy glared at Regina, he still didn't trust her and wasn't sure why she had been invited to the council in the first place. Granted, the woman they were fighting was Regina's mother, but working with the Evil Queen still didn't feel right to him.

Ruby spoke, trying to get the group to focus on the problem at hand,"Now that the portal to Storybrooke is open we have to do everything we can to keep Cora from getting there."

"We should establish a guard here in the palace to protect the entrance to the portal, and one in Regina's vault where it comes out." Charming responded confidently. "That way if Cora does get through she can be stopped immediately."

"Cora's magic is very powerful," Snow explained. "A few guards are not going to stop her."

Emma spoke up, "We need a weapon. Something as powerful as Cora." She addressed the Blue Fairy, "Can't the fairies help?"

The Blue Fairy shook her head, "I'm afraid our magic is no match for Cora's powers."

They all started speaking over each other, the noise quickly grew into an argument.

Regina sat very quietly staring down at the table. Her hands were folded across her lap, her elbows rested on the arms of her chair, and her brow was furrowed as she sat deep in thought. Grumpy continued to stare at her, both of them lost in their own thoughts, ignoring the arguing around them. Then the dwarf broke his silence.

"It should be her." Grumpy's low, gruff voice caused the bickering to stop and the others turned to look at him. His posture mirrored Regina's as he stared across the table at her. The others followed his gaze and understood of whom he was speaking. All eyes were on Regina, as she remained with her head down.

Grumpy spoke again, leaning forward with his elbows on the large table, "She should be the one to face Cora. After all, she is her mother."

Regina slowly lifted her head and met the dwarf's stare. Neither of them moved nor spoke, they remained locked in a silent face off. The room was quiet for a moment as everyone contemplated what Grumpy was proposing.

Ruby spoke first, "She does have powers comparable to Cora's."

"But she has agreed not to use magic," Archie reminded them.

"That's right," Emma confirmed. "She promised Henry she wouldn't."

Ruby was frustrated, "This is bigger than that promise. Cora is threatening to destroy everything we love, in both worlds."

"But we can't ask Regina to face her alone," Snow offered kindly.

Without removing his eyes from Regina Grumpy spoke again, "But this is her responsibility. I mean, it's kind of all her fault."

Snow was shocked by the harshness of his statement. "Grumpy! That's not f-"

"He's right," Regina interrupted calmly. "It should be me."

Grumpy grinned as though he had won some contest and reclined back in his chair. Everyone else was stunned.

Snow was the first to break the silence, "Regina, we can't ask you to do that. It's too dangerous."

"What about Henry?" Archie chimed in. "What about your promise not to use magic?"

Regina looked at him and spoke matter-of-factly, "Henry will understand. This is the best way to protect...everyone. I'm the one she wants, and I don't think she'll expect me to face her like this."

Charming understood where she was going with this, "We can catch her off guard which will give us the advantage."

"Exactly." Regina could see she was winning them over.

Ruby, was on board and was already looking for holes in the plan. "But what if Cora gets past her? We would still need a backup plan."

Regina was a step ahead, "If, for some reason, I feel she will win I'll find a way to destroy the portal before she can get through."

Snow was reluctant to agree. "I don't know Regina, I think it would be better if a few of us stayed behind to help you."

"What could you do? How could you fight her?" Regina spoke forcefully, she was determined that this be done her way.

Snow shook her head, "Why are you so stubborn?" she was almost shouting. "Why won't you ever let anyone help you?"

Regina was set to respond harshly when Emma jumped in, "Because this is her fight." As she spoke she rose to her feet. "Regina has just as much to lose as the rest of us, and she has the best chance of stopping Cora. We'll be ready on the other side of the portal, just in case, " She paused and turned to look at Regina, "But this is her fight."

Regina nodded her head once, grateful, and surprised, that Emma understood and was taking her side.

It was quiet for a moment as the weight of Emma's words sunk in.  
"Now, I say we vote on it." She moved her eyes around the table, looking at each person before she spoke again. "Does anyone disagree with the plan?"

The room was silent. No one raised their voice in disagreement.

"Then it's settled." Emma's words rang in everyone's ears. Regina closed her eyes and drew a deep breath.


	2. Chapter 2: The Letters

Chapter 2: The letters

One by one the council members entered the portal and returned to Storybrooke. As the Blue Fairy was about to enter the portal she turned back to look at Regina. "Good luck, your Majesty."

Regina nodded as the Blue Fairy stepped into the portal. Emma, Charming, and Snow were all who remained. Snow and Charming were about to step into the portal, hand in hand, when Regina spoke.

"Miss Swan."

Emma turned to look at Regina, "Yeah?"

Regina stepped closer to Emma. "Might I have a word with you?"

Emma turned to look at her parents, who met her with worried faces. She smiled to reassure them, "It's okay. I'll just be a few minutes."

Snow looked at Regina, trying to decide if it was safe to leave Emma in fairytale land with her. She chose to play it safe. "We'll wait in the other room for you." After giving Regina a knowing look she added, "We'll go back together."

Normally Regina would have made some sort of come back or at least smirked at Snow, but what she had to discuss with Emma was serious so she held her tongue. As Snow and Charming left the room Regina crossed back to her seat at the table. She stood behind the chair and rested her hands on its back. Emma followed her and stopped at a chair across the table from Regina.

Emma waited for the door to close behind her parents and then asked, "You wanted a word?"

Regina took a breath to steady herself. "Yes. I wondered if you might do something for me when you return to Storybrooke?"

"What might that be?" Emma proceeded cautiously, unsure of Regina's intentions.

Regina reached into the pocket of her blazer and withdrew two letters. They were written on old fashioned parchment and sealed with red wax. "I need you to deliver these letters for me."

Emma wasn't sure what she had expected Regina to say, but this surprised her. She moved closer to Regina to take the letters and asked, "Who are they for?"

Regina look down at the letters and replied, "One is for Henry."

Emma nodded. Of course, Regina would want to explain to Henry why she was choosing to use magic.  
"Who's the other one for?"

As she took the letters from Regina she read the name on the second letter, it was addressed to someone named Lillian. The name was unfamiliar to Emma, so she asked, "Who is Lillian?"

When Regina didn't respond Emma looked up at her. Regina's face was tortured. This puzzled Emma. She decided not to press her for a response. It seemed as though whatever Regina was about to say was tearing at her heart.

Finally, with an anguished sigh, Regina said, "She's my daughter."

Emma was shocked. She tried to wrap her mind around what she had just heard. "You have a daughter?"

"Yes." Regina's voice was a whisper.

Questions flooded Emma's mind. "You adopted another kid before Henry?"

Regina shook her head, "No." The thought of having to explain all of this to Emma made her feel more ashamed than she already was.

"She's yours?"

"Yes." Regina's voice was full of uncharacteristic emotion as she considered the implications of this question. Yes, she had carried this child inside her. Yes, she had given birth to her. She was Regina's. And yet, she wasn't.

Emma needed more information, "How old is she?"

"Sixteen." Regina turned her back to Emma and walked to the nearby window.

Emma struggled to understand how this could be possible. People don't age in Storybrook, or at least they didn't until she arrived. And they certainly aren't born there. That left only one possible explanation.

"She's from this world, isn't she?"

Regina turned around to face Emma. "Yes, she is."

Regina knew Emma wanted to hear the whole story. She walked back to her chair and sat down, Emma did the same.

Regina took a moment to collect herself, and then she began her story.

"I was forced by my mother to marry Snow's father, the King. And, although I did not love him, I was... obligated to act as his wife." She paused, unsure how to proceed.

Emma helped her by guessing what happened next. "And you got pregnant."

"Yes, I did." Regina looked down at her hands, the shame of it all coming back to her.


	3. Chapter 3: The Discovery

Chapter 3: The discovery

Regina leaned over the bowl and wretched for the second time. When it was over she leaned back against the wall to rest. She patted her forehead and cheeks with the damp washcloth she held her hand.

"Are you still sick?"

Regina turned around, surprised to hear someone in her room. It was 10 year old Snow. Regina wiped her mouth with the cloth and forced herself to smile.

"Snow, what are you doing up here?" She tried to sound cheerful while fighting the urge to wretch again.

"You left the table without finishing your breakfast. I wanted to make sure you were alright. Are you still sick?"

This was the third day this week Regina had woken up feeling nauseated. At first, she thought she was simply ill. But now she suspected it was something much more serious.

She didn't want Snow to suspect the latter, so she lied to the child. It was easy. "Yes dear," she said in her most soothing tone,"I'm afraid I am."

Snow made a sad, sympathetic face and took Regina by the hand. "Then you must lay down and rest. I'll go tell father, perhaps he can fetch the doctor for you."

Snow turned to leave the room when Regina grabbed her by the hand, "No!" She had sounded too forceful. She spoke her next words more gently, "The doctor won't be necessary dear. One more day of rest and I'll be good as new."

Regina smiled to assure her. Pacified, Snow returned the smile and lovingly gave her stepmother a hug. Displays of affection from her step-daughter pained Regina as much as touching a hot coal. Snow always reminded her of Daniel, her true love, whose death she partially blamed on the girl.

Snow turned and skipped out of the room. Alone at last, Regina began to think, trying to determine if she was in fact pregnant. She sat down on her bed and went over the past few weeks in her mind. Her heart sank as she realized the truth, she was pregnant.

A deluge of emotions poured over her: fear, horror, shock, confusion, shame, and anger. Each coming in turn, like waves crashing on the shore. She laid back on her pillows, and covered her face with her hands. Her mind raced as she struggled to accept what was happening. This wasn't supposed to happen! This baby would complicate everything. How could she carry out her plans for revenge against her baby's own family? She couldn't keep it...could she?

She allowed herself to imagine what it would be like. Holding her little baby in her arms, seeing him take his first steps. Or maybe it would it be a girl... She imagined braiding her daughter's hair, and teaching her to ride a steed, her own favorite past time as a girl.

The images were tempting, and she knew that the old Regina could have truly loved this child. But she also knew that she wouldn't be happy pretending to be in love with the King for the rest of her life. She didn't want that life. She wanted her freedom. She had changed, she had become consumed by her desire for revenge on Snow and if she kept this baby she could never have that.

She felt she had to choose: her freedom, or the life her mother forced her into.

Regina realized that she had already made her choice. She had already started down the path to her freedom. Only months before, she had pushed her own mother through a looking glass. She had already started learning to use dark magic with Rumplestiltskin, and she was good at it. Her new power was intoxicating. It dulled the heartache she felt over Daniel's death. She found the more power she gained the more she craved, and that frightened her. The last thing Regina wanted was for this child to have a mother like she did.

There was no turning back. She couldn't undo the things she had done, what she was becoming. This baby couldn't be anywhere near her.  
There were two options: she could get rid of the baby, or she could hide it.

The thought of hurting her unborn child made Regina feel sick all over again. She knew she could never do that, even she had her limits. She had to hide the pregnancy and the baby and she had to do it now before anyone suspected.

Regina ran to the chest at the foot of her bed and pulled out her mother's spell book. She began flipping through the pages looking for a spell that would conceal her pregnancy. Finally she found a concealment spell intended to hide weaknesses from one's enemies. It looked complicated, but after reading over it a few times Regina felt confident that she could do it.

A twinge of guilt passed through Regina as she studied the spell at her vanity table. It seemed so selfish what she was doing, hiding the baby like this. She stopped reading and looked at herself in the mirror that hung in front of her. She felt as though her face had changed these past few months, had become harder, less gentle and kind. A reflection, perhaps, of the change happening within her heart.

"You ARE selfish," She told her reflection. "You aren't good enough to be anyone's mother. You don't deserve this baby. It will be better off without you."


	4. Chapter 4: The Decision

Chapter 4: The decision

The warm summer sun filtered through the leaves of the apple tree and fell upon Regina's swollen belly as she pruned the lower branches. Of course, no one but she could see the evidence of the child growing inside her; not even her father, the only person who knew. The concealment spell she had cast upon herself eight months ago had worked perfectly.

She gently clipped the twigs from the branches, expertly crafting the tree into one that would yield another crop of flawless apples, just as it had every autumn. Regina had the tree brought from her mother's home when they came to live at the palace. She loved the tree and cared for it personally, it was the one thing in her new home that was truly hers.

Finished with the lower branches she reached up higher, stretching to reach the ones above her head. A sharp pain in her abdomen caused her to lower her arm and clutch her side.

The pain subsided and she was able to catch her breath. She gently stroked her stomach and spoke softly to the child inside, "I'm sorry, I stretched too far didn't I?" A smile spread across her beautiful face as she continued to soothe her unborn child.

Her repose was interrupted as she heard a voice behind her ask, "Are you alright?"

Regina quickly withdrew her hands from her abdomen and picked up the pruning shears. She turned to see who had spoken, it was her father. Although still slightly embarrassed to have been caught by surprise, she relaxed somewhat when she saw it was him.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just stretched a little too far, that's all." She returned to pruning her tree.

Regina's father walked toward her slowly. He knew the time was coming when the baby would be born, and he thought this might be his last chance to talk some sense into his daughter.

"It's alright, you know" he said gently.

Regina did not want to have this conversation again. She pretended not to understand what he meant.  
"What is?"

Her father came and stood next to her and put his hand on her back. "For you to love this baby."

Regina moved away and shook her head, "I don't know what you mean."

He followed her, "It's obvious you feel something Regina. Why not give yourself a chance?"

She was through playing dumb, "Daddy, we've been through this. I'm not keeping the baby." She started cleaning up her gardening things.

"My dear," her father persisted, "I feel as though you are making a serious mistake. One that you'll come to regret later."

"Daddy-"

"And when you regret it, it will be too late. This can never be undone."

She turned to face him, "Daddy, please-"

Her put his hands on her shoulders to make her hear him, "Regina, you would be a wonderful mother!"

She snapped, "No, I wouldn't!" Her father was taken back by her forceful tone. She continued, "Maybe I could have been once, but not anymore."

He let go of her shoulders and she walked toward a nearby bench. She stopped and clenched her fists, trying to control the tears that were dangerously close to flowing. She turned around and he saw the pain in her face. "I would be just like her. And I will not do to my child what she did to me! This baby is better off without me."

Regina slowly lowered herself onto the bench, supporting the weight of her belly with her left hand.

As Henry watched his daughter, his heart ached for her. She had been through so much, he could hardly blame her for feeling the way she did. All he wanted was her happiness, and he wanted to spare her the pain this choice would eventually bring her.

He sat down on the bench beside Regina and took her hand in his. "How can you say that, dear? You have brought so much happiness to my life, and you have so much to give. I know you have always loved children, and they have loved you. Just look at Snow, and the way she adores you."

The mention of Snow's name instantly made Regina angry. She pulled her hand away from her father's, "That foolish girl ruined my happiness." Her words sounded cold and harsh.

Henry regretted mentioning Snow. He decided to try another approach, "Regina, you are not your mother. Cora was cold and controlling and manipulative. But you, you are kind and loving and good."

Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she spoke. Her father was unaware of the terrible things she had done, of the darkness that was growing inside her heart. "You don't understand. I've changed. I'm no longer the person I once was." She stood and moved closer to her tree. "After everything I've been through, how could I have stayed the same? The heartbreak of losing Daniel, and being forced to marry the King was unbearable."

Regina turned and looked at her father, "Until magic came to me. Magic is the only thing that stops the pain. When I use magic I feel powerful, and strong instead of weak. For the first time in my life, I can have what I want."

"Magic and power don't bring lasting happiness, Regina. They alienate you from everyone around you. They won't heal your wounds. Only love can do that."

Regina's face became hard, and her voice was filled with bitterness, "Love is weakness."

Henry's heart sank as his daughter repeated the harsh words his wife had often said.

Regina turned swiftly and left the courtyard. As she started up the steps to the palace another searing pain tore through her abdomen. This one was much stronger than the first, it caused Regina to double over and cry out in pain. Her father ran to her side and tried to support her so she could remain standing.  
The pain finally stopped and Regina was breathing heavily.

"It's time," her father confirmed. "Let's get you to the carriage."


	5. Chapter 5: The Journey

Chapter 5: The Journey

Henry hurried through the corridors of the palace toward the Throne Room. His daughter, Regina, was about to have a baby and it fell to him to find the unaware father, the King, and lie to him about why she needed to leave the palace immediately.

Regina shared the news of her pregnancy with her father the day she found out. After performing the enchantment that made it impossible for anyone else to know, the two began discussing how they could hide the delivery. Since the baby would be born in the summer, the original plan was to have Regina stay behind while Snow and the King went to the Summer Palace. But they weren't set to leave for another week, so Henry had to think of another way.

As he reached the throne room doors Henry paused for a moment to catch his breath. He didn't want to arouse suspicion. He exhaled sharply and pushed the heavy doors open. King Leopold was sitting on his throne discussing something with one of his advisers. Snow sat by his side on the floor reading.

Henry waited patiently for a moment while the King finished his conversation. He felt nervous. If King Leopold doubted the excuse Henry told him the whole charade could come crashing down. The adviser bowed before the King and walked away. Henry took one last breath to steady himself and then spoke,

"Your Majesty."

The King turned to look at Henry and greeted him with his usual warm smile. "Ah, Henry! So good to see you."

"Thank you Sir. The Queen has asked me to inform you that she will be departing for the Summer Palace this afternoon."

The King had a puzzled look on his face. " Why is that? We are set to leave in but a week." Snow was standing next to her father now, interested in the discussion they were having.

Henry felt beads of perspiration beginning to form on his forehead.  
"Yes, your Majesty, however the Queen wishes to visit the grave of her mother, at the family cemetery before going to the Summer Palace."

This, of course, was a lie. If the truth of what had happened to Cora had been made known it would have been devastating for Regina. So, with the help of Rumplestiltskin, they faked her death and had her "buried" near their family home.

The King nodded sympathetically. "Yes. She hasn't been able to visit her mother's grave since she was laid to rest."

Snow, always very sensitive to anyone who had lost their mother, said, "Oh, then we should go with her father! She might feel sad, and we should be there to comfort her."

Henry had to move the King away from this idea as quickly as possible, that was the last thing they needed.

"That's very kind of you Princess, but I will be accompanying the Queen on her journey, so she will not be alone."

"That's right, Snow." The King lovingly patted Snow's hand which rested on his arm. "You are sweet to want to comfort Regina, but perhaps we should let her and her father have some time alone to pay homage to dear Cora."

Henry sighed with relief. It had worked.

"Please tell the Queen we wish her a safe journey."

"I will, your Majesty. Thank you." With a bow, Henry left the throne room and headed toward Regina's chambers. They had already packed everything they would need for the summer, just in case they needed to leave suddenly. He instructed several footmen to help him load the luggage onto the Queen's carriage and within a few minutes they were ready to leave.

Henry climbed into a second, less conspicuous, carriage. He had one more stop to make before they left for their family home. Regina's carriage would depart first but stop about one mile outside the village and wait for Henry. He would meet her there after his task was complete.

While in his carriage, Regina's father put on a hooded cloak to disguise himself. The driver took him to the center of the village where he could find who he was looking for. It was common to hire the services of a woman known as a nurse maid to assist in the delivery of children. Since they had no idea how long it would be until the baby would be ready to be born they thought it would be best to take a nurse maid along for the journey, just in case they didn't make it to the house in time.

Henry exited the carriage and went into the tent where the villagers came to be seen for medical issues. This time he didn't try to hide the anxiety in his voice. "I have a woman who Is in need of a nurse maid immediately!"

He looked around the tent for someone who could help when a middle aged woman waved her hand in the air and volunteered her services. He collected the nurse and escorted her to his carriage.

They rode in silence, both preparing for the job ahead. When they approached the edge of the village the nurse maid, Marie, became uneasy. She was confused as to why they would be leaving town. Where was this woman? The carriage came to a stop on the side of the road. Marie looked out the window for a dwelling of some kind where her patient might be waiting but she saw only forest.

Henry climbed out the carriage door and indicated that Marie should do the same. As soon as she stepped out she recognized the Queen's carriage parked a little farther down the road. Now she was completely confused.

Henry started toward Regina's carriage and Marie followed. He opened the door and gestured for the nurse to climb inside. Normally, she would have been thrilled at the chance to ride in a royal carriage but now she felt slightly afraid. It was dark inside so Marie couldn't see that there was someone else already sitting in the carriage. She sat down on the bench to the right and waited for her eyes to adjust. Henry climbed in, shut the door and sat on the bench opposite her.

As they resumed their journey Marie's eyes began to make out the forms of two people on the bench across from her. She recognized the silhouette of the man who had brought her here, but the other figure was unfamiliar. She squinted in an effort to make sense of what she was looking at, if only there were a little light. Finally she realized that if this was the Queen's carriage then the other passenger must be the Queen herself!

As if on cue, Henry slightly raised one of the shutters, letting in just enough light that Marie could clearly see Regina's face.

"Your Majesty!" Marie bowed her head in respect. There was no response from Regina or her father. Marie nervously spoke again, "I... I don't understand, I thought there was a woman having a baby who needed my help."

Henry answered her flatly, "There is."

Marie still did not Regina grabbed her abdomen and cringed at the pain. The nurse recognized this as a contraction but did not understand how it could possibly be so, the Queen did not have a large belly to indicate that she was with child. "How can this be?" She asked.

Henry was turned toward Regina, trying to comfort her until the tightness in her stomach released. "An enchantment was placed on her to hide the child."

It was not her place to ask but Marie wondered, why? She asked a more practical question instead, "How am I to deliver the child if I can't see it?"

The contraction finally over, and a little out of breath, Regina responded, "Once we arrive I will lift the enchantment. We can't take the chance that anyone could see before then. No one can know."

"And what happens after the baby is born?" If no one could know about the child before it was born, what did that mean for her? A sudden frightening thought crossed her mind, "Am I to be killed?"

Henry shook his head. "No. You won't remember that it was the Queen's child you delivered." Marie assumed that meant she would be placed under some sort of enchantment that would alter her memory.

The Queen and the man with her didn't seem threatening, in fact they both seemed anxious and worried about the labor. She decided they meant her no harm.

She had seen the Queen before and had always admired her beauty, but now there was something different about her face. She seemed troubled. Marie decided to try to ease the Queen's worries.

"Is there no enchantment to stop the pain?"

"Unfortunately no," Regina explained. "The entrance of a new life into this world is itself a magical thing. No power I possess can alter the process."

"How long is it between the pains, your Majesty?"

"Nearly ten minutes." Regina shifted her weight in an attempt to get comfortable.

Marie was thinking. "And how long have we to travel?"

Henry answered her, "Three hours or less." Marie nodded as she considered this information.

"Will we make it in time?" Regina sounded a little afraid.

Marie smiled at her patient and said sweetly, "Don't you worry about that now dear, we've got plenty of time."


	6. Chapter 6: The Delivery

After three long hours traveling in a bumpy carriage to her family home, all while in labor, Regina was exhausted. The contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes now, a sure sign that the hardest part of her ordeal was soon to come. As they pulled up to the house another contraction started. The growing intensity with each one shocked her, and she struggled to breathe through the pain as Marie had taught her. As the pain finally waned she exhaled a cry of agonized relief. Regina wanted to cry, but she new if she lost control of her emotions now she wouldn't be able to regain the strength she would need to push.

Marie could sense that Regina was becoming discouraged. "It's alright, your Majesty. You're doing wonderfully. We're here now, let's get you inside where you'll be more comfortable." Marie had been a surprising source of comfort and encouragement for Regina throughout; she was so glad they had brought her along.

Henry opened the carriage door and stepped out while Marie helped Regina move close enough that her father could pick her up. He lifted his daughter into his arms and started toward the manor, while Marie hurried ahead to open the door. Regina rested her head on her father's chest, she felt like a little girl again, safe in her father's loving arms.

Looking up at the house she had grown up in brought a flood of emotion into Regina's heart. This place had been almost like a prison for her, living under her mother's suffocating control. But it was also the place where she had come to know, and later fall in love with Daniel. The emotions surrounding these two conflicting memories paled however in comparison to the pure heartbreak she felt when she thought of Daniel's death, which occurred at the stables on the property.

Once again, her thoughts had returned to Daniel as they had been doing all day. Everything about this moment was wrong. She had imagined many times what it would be like to have children, but what should have been one of the happiest experiences of her life was filled with sorrow and regret. She should be carrying Daniel's child, he should be here holding her hand and comforting her. She suddenly felt very lonely.

They entered the great room of the house and Marie directed Henry to place Regina on a large chaise lounge near the fireplace. The soft cushion of the chaise felt like heaven to Regina, after bumping around in the carriage for so long. Marie helped position Regina in a way that would allow her to push effectively, which would happen very soon. After placing a pillow behind her back Marie kneeled down at Regina's side.

"Your Majesty," she said gently. "I need to see how soon we can expect to meet this little one."

Regina understood, it was time to lift the enchantment. She closed her eyes and placed her hand over her stomach. She passed her hand over it three times in a slow circle. The enchantment broken, her swollen belly was now visible; Marie marveled at the magic. Another contraction started, bringing her attention back to the situation at hand.

Henry held his daughter's hand, and encouraged her to breathe. After it was over Regina laid her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the temporary reprieve. Marie looked at Henry, there was much to do.

"I need to check her progress now. Perhaps you could fetch a few things we will need and start a fire?"

Henry got to his feet, "Of course." He hurried through the house collecting the things Marie had said they needed: clean cloth, water to boil, something for Regina to eat afterwards, and lanterns. He could hear his daughter's cries of pain which made him anxious to be at her side.

With everything gathered Henry returned to the great room. He put the water over the fire to get it boiling and started lighting the lanterns. His hands were trembling slightly which made lighting the wicks more difficult than usual. Regina noticed her father struggling to accomplish this and decided to help him. With a wave of her hand a flame flickered to life in each lantern making the room drastically brighter. Henry turned to look at Regina and father and daughter shared a quick smile.

Then the most powerful contraction yet hit Regina, the force of the pressure was suffocating. She cried out and felt the urge to push. Henry rushed to her side, and Marie confirmed that that was exactly what she needed to do.

"It's time, your Majesty. I need you to push."

Regina froze, paralyzed by fear of the unknown pain pushing would surely bring. Marie looked up at her expectantly and saw tears welling up in the Queen's eyes. Regina shook her head and said quietly, "I don't know if I can do this."

Henry squeezed his daughter's hand, he felt helpless.

Marie sat up straight and looked Regina in the eyes. "You CAN do this. I know you can."

Tears rolled down Regina's cheeks. "But, I'm afraid."

Marie kept her eyes locked on Regina's, "Every new mother is afraid. You are putting your life at risk to bring this child into the world. It's the greatest sacrifice anyone can make. I think that's why your magic can't alter the process, because it's something more powerful than magic. It's the purest form of love. You are doing what's best for your child, despite the fact that it's dangerous for you. That's what it is to be a mother. You do what is best for your children, no matter what."

Marie's words pierced Regina's heart and touched her deeply. She nodded her head, resolved to endure whatever came. Another fierce conrtaction started, but this time Regina was ready. She bore down, pushing as hard as she could. It hurt more than she thought it would, but she continued until the contraction stopped.

"Well done, your Majesty. Just a few more. Now, push!"

Again Regina pushed with all her might, and cried out as the pain became unbearable.

"One more push, and it will be over," Marie called out.

With all the strength she had left, Regina pushed one last time and finally the pressure released. She cried out again, this time with relief. Marie worked quickly to clear the baby's airway and tie off the cord. Regina waited for what seemed like minutes to hear or see anything...then she heard it; the soft cry of her newborn child. It was the best sound she had ever heard.

Marie wrapped the child snugly in a blanket and held her up for Regina to see. "Congratulations, your Majesty. You have a daughter."

Regina had spent months preparing herself for this moment , the moment she would see her daughter for the first time. She had carefully built a wall around her heart in an attempt to prevent herself from becoming attached. Despite her efforts to keep her distance emotionally there had been moments when she had felt connected to the little life growing inside her. And now, actually seeing her and hearing her cry, that wall was truly being tested.

"Is she alright?" The baby was still crying and Regina wanted to make sure.

Marie smiled and said lovingly, "She's perfect."

Regina found herself wanting to hold and comfort her child. Maybe it wasn't a good idea... "May I hold her?" She asked nervously. _Just this once_, she told herself.

Marie replied with a little chuckle, "Of course dear, you're her mother."

_Mother. _The word hit Regina like a slap in the face. She would never _really _be this baby's mother, she couldn't. But maybe, just for a few minutes, she could pretend.

Marie placed the tiny infant in Regina's arms. Her heart burned in her chest as she stared down at her newborn daughter. And just like that,the wall was gone. No matter how much she had resisted, she could not deny it now; she loved this little baby. She heard Marie's words again in her mind, _That's what it is to be a mother. You do what is best for your children, no matter what._

Everything fell into place for Regina. She wouldn't be keeping the baby, but not because she feared that loving her would make her weak. She loved her daughter and so she would do what was best for her. She wanted this baby to have her best chance at a full and happy life, even if that meant Regina couldn't be her mother. The thought made her sad, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

For the first time, in a long time, Regina felt at peace. As she snuggled up to her mother the baby girl stopped crying and fell fast asleep.  
Regina turned to her father and beamed. "Look daddy."

The grandfather tenderly reached out and held one of her tiny hands. "She's beautiful my dear."

"Yes, she is," Regina agreed.

Henry leaned in and kissed his granddaughter and then his daughter. "I'm so proud of you."

Marie didn't want to interrupt but there were still some things that she needed to attend to. "Excuse me, your Majesty, but I was wondering, since the lass has been born now, if you might be able to heal yourself?"

Regina had almost forgotten about the physical trauma she had just gone through. "Yes," she said with relief. "That, I can do." She slowly passed her free hand over her body from head toe. A pink light shone from inside her and followed the path of her hand, healing her body as it traveled down. Regina closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, the bleeding had stopped and all the pain was gone.

"Remarkable!" Marie was once again in awe. Regina looked up and met her eyes. The nurse smiled, genuinely happy things had gone so well.

"Thank you Marie," Regina said warmly. "Thank you, for everything."

Marie understood the Queen's unspoken meaning. "It was my pleasure, your Majesty."


	7. Chapter 7: The Goodbye

The sun had barely risen over the horizon when Regina woke the next morning. Marie had slept in her room to stay close to the baby, and both were still asleep. She crossed the room to one of her trunks and removed a simple yet beautiful powder blue dress. It was floor length with an empire waist and capped sleeves, perfect for a summer day.

After a refreshing bath Regina dressed and swept her long hair up into a loose bun. She crept up to the makeshift cradle where her little daughter slept and peeked over the side. She watched the child breathe for a moment before she leaned over and kissed one of her tiny cheeks. The baby girl sighed as though she recognized her mother's kiss, which brought a smile to Regina's lips.

Grateful for the chance to have some time alone, Regina decided to take a walk. At first she wandered aimlessly around the garden and the orchard, but she eventually found herself at the stables, a place she wasn't sure she ever wanted to see again. She pulled the door open and stepped inside. The memory of the horrible tragedy that occurred there played in her mind. She walked to the spot where Daniel had fallen after her mother crushed his heart to dust.

Tears filled her eyes and for once she did nothing to hold them back. She slumped to the ground, sobbing as she longed to hold Daniel again. As she sat there mourning she asked herself the same questions she had asked a thousand times: What if they hadn't waited so long to run away? What if she had gone to Firefly Hill that day with Daniel? What if she hadn't been there to save Snow White?

Snow...She stopped crying and caught her breath, her face reflected the anger she felt inside. This was all Snow's fault! She rose to her feet, no longer feeling defeated. Her desire for revenge had been rekindled as a bonfire of hate blazed inside her. In her rage she used her powers to lift a pitchfork that leaned against the door of one of the stalls. She let it hang in the air for a few seconds before sending it straight into the wall where it lodged with a resounding thud. That felt good.

Having regained her composure, somewhat, Regina lifted the chain she wore around her neck which held Daniel's ring. She grasped the ring tightly in her right hand and brought it up to her lips. "I promise Daniel. She won't get away with destroying our happiness."

* * *

Regina made her way back to the manor, now she had to prepare to say goodbye to her daughter. As she entered she could hear that the others were in the kitchen eating breakfast. She would join them in a minute, there was something upstairs she needed to get first. She went up to her room and found the trunk she was looking for. Regina opened it and withdrew a small box. Inside was a small locket she had had made, a gift for her daughter. There was also a ring, incase the baby had been a boy. She pulled out the locket and placed the box with the ring back in the trunk.

The Queen held the tiny gold heart-shaped locket in her hand and ran her finger over the design on the outside. It was an apple blossom with a tiny heart in the center. She opened the locket, which was empty, and waved her hand over it. An inscription appeared, written in her own elegant handwriting, it read _All my heart. _Her own heart ached as she read the words; they were true. She was giving her daughter all her heart by letting her go.

Henry cleared his throat in the doorway, he didn't want to intrude on his daughter's privacy. She turned around and told him to come in.

"I just wanted to come make sure you were alright. You left early this morning."

"I just went for a little walk." She smiled softly to assure him she was alright. Henry nodded and noticed the locket in her hand. He knew that she had intended to give something to the child as a parting gift and, since she was holding it now, he assumed that the time had come.

Although it was most likely futile, he decided to try to convince her to keep the baby one last time. "Are you certain, my dear?"

Regina looked at her father, she was very calm as she responded, "Yes, daddy. I am."

"But you love her Regina. I can see it, even if you won't admit it. Why put yourself through the pain this separation will bring?"

"I do love her daddy. I'm doing this because I love her."

Henry didn't understand. "But if you realy love her then I know you'd never do anything to hurt her. Not like your mother."

Regina shook her head, "Just because you love someone it doesn't mean you won't hurt them. You may not want to, but they aren't protected from it." She walked closer to her father. "There is no way I can be her mother and protect her from me at the same time."

"Yes there is," Henry insisted. "Let go of your hatred for Snow!"

Regina's voice filled with emotion. "I can't! I want my revenge and I WILL have it. But she doesn't have to be a part of it. This is the only way I can protect her."

Henry lowered his head. He was disappointed that it was going to turn out this way, but he knew his daughter's mind was made up. "Very well then."

* * *

The carriage ride back to the Queen's kingdom had been quiet. They were all thinking about saying goodbye to the sweet little girl they had all come to love in the last 24 hours. Regina held her close to her chest, cherishing the last few moments they would have together as mother and daughter.

The driver pulled on the reigns, slowing the horses and bringing the carriage to a stop. Regina felt her heart sink, the time had come to say goodbye. Henry gently took his granddaughter into his arms and kissed her on the head. "Goodbye little angel," he whispered as he returned the sleeping baby to her mother.

Regina studied her daughter's face, memorizing every detail as she held her for the last time. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke, "Goodbye, my little one. I know you will be well cared for, I picked out your new family myself." She pulled the locket out of her pocket and placed it around the baby's neck. "Remember, that I will always love you...with all my heart." Tears spilled onto Regina's cheeks as she gave her daughter one last kiss and then handed her to Marie.

Henry opened the carriage door and climbed down to assist Marie as she followed him out.

"Thank you," she said to Henry. She turned to address the Queen, "Where am I to take her, your Majesty?"

With a smile Regina replied, "With you. Marie."

Marie was stunned, she hadn't expected this. And she was thrilled. She had lost her only son many years before and had always longed to be a mother again. A grin spread across her kind face and her eyes filled with happy tears.

"I can't think of anyone who I would rather have as the mother of my daughter."

She stepped closer to the carriage and took the Queen's hand. "I'm honored, your Majesty. I promise I will take good care of her."

Regina placed her other hand on top of Marie's, "I know you will. Thank you."

The nurse bowed her head and turned away, heading down the road toward the village. Regina waved her hand and a small stream of black smoke floated to Marie and settled on her for a moment, then dissolved.

Henry climbed into the carriage and closed the door. "What memory did you give her?"

Regina continued to watch Marie walk away. "That the child's mother died while giving birth, and that Marie promised to take care of her."

Henry slid closer to Regina and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into her father and broke down.

* * *

Emma didn't know what to say. For the first time since she came to Storybrooke she actually felt sorry for Regina. She really had some horrible things happen to her and had endured such heartache. After hearing her story it was easier for Emma to understand why Regina had been so possessive over Henry.

"Well, it looks like you, my mom, and me all have something in common."

Regina considered Emma's words. She had never thought about the similar circumstances she shared with Snow and Emma. "We've each given up a child."

There was a question Emma had been wanting to ask Regina as she told her story, now felt like the right time. "Can I ask you a question?" Regina nodded that it would be alright.

"Why did you adopt Henry?"

Regina didn't answer right away, she was thinking about her answer. "I didn't plan to. I was in Storybrooke for 18 years before I did." She stood and walked over to the window. "I had gotten my revenge, gotten everything I wanted. But I was still unhappy. I was lonely." She turned around to face Emma. "I thought, maybe...in this land without magic, maybe I could have a second chance. The chance to be a mother. I owe them both an explanation for that, and so much more."

Emma nodded. It made sense to her, and, given her own history, she could certainly understand the way Regina felt about Lillian. "I'll make sure they both get their letters."

"Thank you," Regina said sincerely. "Oh, there's one more thing Miss Swan." She came closer to Emma. "No one knows about Lillian, but I think Gold may suspect. I've done what I could to throw him off the trail, but if he decides to help my mother he might try to use Lillian to get to me. I can't be there to protect her-"

"Don't worry," Emma interjected. "We'll watch out for her."

Regina nodded in gratitude. Emma turned and headed toward the door to the room where her parents were waiting. She stopped suddenly as something clicked in her head. She turned around to look at Regina and started walking back to the table, working it out as she went.

"You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?"

Regina looked confused. " I don't know what you mean."

Emma continued to walk slowly toward the table. "You couldn't have just written those letters, the council only decided 20 minutes ago that you should face Cora." Regina's face revealed nothing, she just waited for Emma to finish.

Emma stopped in her tracks as she realized what was going on. "You're not planning on coming back to Storybrooke, are you?"

Regina looked down at her hands which were rested on the back of her chair again. Emma was more perceptive than she had thought. She gave a half-smile and replied, "Take care of my children, Miss Swan." Then Regina turned and walked out of the great hall.


	8. Chapter 8: The Daughter

Chapter 8: The Daughter

Emma, Snow, and Charming stepped through the portal and into Regina's vault in Storybrooke.

"Emma," Snow said anxiously. "What's going on? What did Regina say?"

Emma turned to look at her parents, "It's a long story and I promise I'll fill you in on everything, but to sum up, Regina asked me to deliver a couple of letters."

"Letters?" Charming was just as surprised as Emma had been.

"Goodbye letters," Emma added.

Snow was confused, "Goodbye letters...Why?"

Emma's voice became very serious, "I don't think Regina is planning on coming back to Storybrooke."

Snow and Charming were stunned. They were both silent for a moment as they tried to process what Emma was telling them. Charming spoke first, "What does that mean, exactly?"

Emma shifted her weight, she was anxious to find a solution to this problem. "I'm not sure, but from what I heard in the council meeting, and from what she said just now, I think Regina is planning on destroying the portal before Cora even has a chance to get through it."

Emma's parents considered this. "She's putting herself out as bait," Charming said.

Snow couldn't believe it. "She's sacrificing herself?" She looked at Emma for an explanation. "Why?"

Emma hesitated, she didn't think she should tell them about Lillian yet. Not until the girl read her letter, it just didn't feel right. "To protect Henry." That seemed to appease Snow.

"So, what do we do?" Charming wanted to make a plan they could act on.

Emma shook her head, "I don't know. She seemed pretty determined."

"Well, we have to do something," Snow said plainly. "We can't just sit by and let her die."

Emma agreed, "I know." She thought about her son, Regina was also his mother, and she knew he would be so upset if anything happened to her.

Charming wasn't so sure they had it right. "What if we're wrong?" They both turned to look at him. "What if Regina's not sacrificing herself? What if she's joining forces with her mother?"

Snow knew, better than just about anyone, the ugly history between Regina and her mother. "No. She would never. As much as Regina has hated me & blamed me for ruining her happiness, she also blames her mother."

"Well, what about the letters," Charming offered. "Maybe we can get a better idea of what Regina is actually planning from them."

Snow liked this idea. "Yes. If we know, for sure, what she's doing then we can make a plan. Who are they for?"

"One's for Henry," Emma said. "I'm assuming to tell him goodbye & explain why she's doing this."

"And who gets the other one?" Snow asked.

"I think I'd better let that person read it first before I say anything. It's kind of personal," Emma said.

Snow nodded, "Of course. You're right."

Emma was tired of talking about it, she wanted to get out there and find Lillian. "Look, we'll figure something out. I agree, these letters could be the key. Why don't you guys go check on Henry and everyone else, and I'll meet you at the apartment. I've got to deliver this letter."

Snow and Charming agreed. They went upstairs to the surface and then their separate ways.

Emma stopped the police cruiser in front of a nice little yellow house. She held up the piece of paper with Lillian's address written on it to make sure she was at the right place. After confirming that she was, Emma got out of the car and walked up to the door. She knocked and waited for an answer. A few seconds later a middle aged woman answered the door with a warm smile, it was Marie.

Emma smiled at the woman, knowing she could see the cruiser and not wanting to frighten her. "Hello ma'am."

"Sheriff Swan!" Marie was surprised to see law enforcement at her door.

"I'm looking for Lillian."

"Is everything alright, Sheriff?" Marie put her hand over her heart, as if she was afraid it would jump out if her chest.

Emma was quick to assure her, "Yes, everything is fine. I just came to give her something."

Marie visibly relaxed. "Oh, of course. Come on in, she's out back." She opened the door and guided Emma through the house to the back door.

"She's just out there," Marie pointed the way.

Emma looked out the door to where she pointed and then turned back to the woman,"Thank you..."

"Marie." She extended her hand to Emma.

Emma smiled, remembering Marie's part in the story Regina had told her. She really did seem as kind as she had sounded. "Thank you Marie." They shook hands.

Emma pushed the screen door open and stepped out onto the large porch. She moved her eyes around the yard until she saw someone. Off to the right of the porch a teenage girl stood on a ladder, pruning an apple tree. Emma chuckled softly to herself, apples. The girl was petite, Emma guessed maybe 5'4", and slender. She had wavy, dark brown hair that fell half way down her back. She kept it off her face with a light blue headband that matched the t-shirt she wore with a pair of faded jeans.

Stepping down off the porch Emma crossed the yard to the tree. "Are you Lillian?"

Startling a little, the girl ducked down to see below the branches who had spoken to her. "Yes," she replied cautiously.

Emma came closer to the ladder so Lillian could see her better. "I'm Sheriff Swan." She thought it might make it easier for Lillian to talk to her after she read the letter if Emma were here on "official business".

Lillian was surprised, like Marie had been, to have the Sheriff at her home. " The Sheriff?" She started climbing down the ladder, leaving the pruning shears on the top step. "Am I in some kind of trouble?"

"No, no," Emma said, trying to sound casual. "Nothing like that." She walked in a semi-circle around the base of the tree, looking up and admiring it. Lillian watched her, feeling confused.

Still looking up at the tree, Emma said, "That's a nice looking Apple tree you've got." She had always been curious about Regina's fetish for apples, and found it even more curious that her daughter seemed to have a thing for them too.

"Thank you," Lillian replied. She looked up at the tree as well, proud of her work. "I had one just like it back in the enchanted forest. Had it ever since I was a little girl."

Emma noticed the locket around Lillian's neck. It was just as Regina had described it, a small gold heart with an Apple blossom on it and a tiny heart at the center. "Where did you get this one?" she asked, pointing to the tree, keeping the conversation going.

Lillian had to think about that question, after a few seconds she replied with a smile, "I don't know! It's just always been here I guess."

When she smiled Emma noticed how Lillian looked like both Regina and Snow. She had Regina's smile and Snow's blue eyes. The girl's resemblance to her mother was there but not so profoundly that someone would make the connection, unless they knew.

"So," Lillian said awkwardly. "If I'm not in trouble..."

Emma realized that she had let it be quiet for too long as she had been lost in her thoughts. She finished Lillian's sentence, "Then what am I doing here?" They both laughed a little, diffusing the awkwardness a bit.

Emma reached into her back pocket and pulled out the letter. "I came to give you this." She held it out to Lillian who responded the same way everyone else had.

"A letter?" She took it from Emma and examined it. "Who is it from?"

Emma wasn't sure how to answer that. Regina? The Evil Queen? Your long-lost mother? She settled on something more neutral, "It's from the Mayor."

Lillian's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Mayor Mills? The Evil Queen?" Emma winced when Lillian called her own mother what she had been known as in Fairytale Land. Of course she didn't know, but Emma knew that would have made Regina feel bad if she had heard it. The girl continued, "Why would she write me a letter?"

"I think I'd better just let you read it," Emma replied ominously.

Still confused, Lillian made her way to a small stone bench near the tree. She sat down, opened the letter, and with one last glance at Emma she began to read:

"My dearest Lillian," the first line threw her for a loop. Just what was this letter? She started over.

"My dearest Lillian,

You must be wondering why I have written you this letter. It is because there are some things you need to know, and I wanted you to hear them from me. Our world, the Enchanted Forest, and Storybrooke are both in serious danger.

The threat comes from my mother, Cora. She has very powerful magic and will destroy anything or anyone who crosses her path as she tries to get what she wants. What she wants is me.

As a child, my mother was very strict, and if I disobeyed her she would use magic to control me. As I grew up I often saw her do horrible things, she even killed people, to get what she wanted, power. It frightened me. I resisted her plans for me. I wanted desperately to be free from her, but the harder I fought the tighter her grip on me became. Finally, when I refused to marry the King like she wanted me to, she killed the man I loved and forced me to anyway. Heartbroken and fed up I used magic to banish her to another world. Now she is free and wants her revenge on me.

So, you see Lillian, I have to face her. She, will stop at nothing to get to me and the only way I can protect the people I love is to stay in our world and close the portal so she can never come to Storybrooke. It is very dangerous and I might not survive, but someone very wise once told me that the purest form of love is to do what is best for someone, even if it means putting your own life at risk. I am doing what is best for my children: Henry, who has been my son for ten years, and my daughter, who won't even know I am her mother until she reads this letter. Yes, Lillian, I am your mother."

Lillian gasped, she couldn't believe what she had just read. She read it again two more times just to be sure she hadn't read it wrong. She had always known that Marie had adopted her, but she was told that her mother had died in child birth. This couldn't be true. She read on.

"I know you may find this difficult to believe and possibly very upsetting. I know you are well aware of who I became and some of the awful things I have done. I certainly don't expect you to be proud to be the daughter of the Evil Queen, but I hope you'll give me a chance to explain my choice to give you up.

As I said before, my mother forced me to marry your father, the King, and I was very unhappy. I was also very angry with the King's daughter, Snow White, because it was she who told my mother about the man I loved. I held Snow responsible for his death, and became consumed by the desire for revenge. I started learning to use dark magic to gain that revenge and, ultimately, my freedom. It was then I learned I was pregnant with you. I was so confused, I had always wanted to be a mother but I had changed. I had started down a dark path and I was terrified that I would be like my mother. I didn't want you to fear me and be ashamed of me like I was of my mother, and most of all, I didn't want to hurt you. I wanted you to have the life I never had, but always wanted.

Despite what you may think, I loved you very much, and I wanted to do what was best for you even though it broke my heart to lose you. Your adopted mother, Marie, helped deliver you and agreed to raise you as her own. I knew she would take good care of you and I know that she has. Don't be angry with her for not telling you the truth, I placed an enchantment on her so she wouldn't remember that I was your mother.

I'm sorry that I can't be there to tell you this in person, you deserve more than just a letter. But if I came back to Storybrooke to tell you, I don't think I would have the strength to leave, and I have to. It's the only way to keep you safe. Goodbye, my sweet Lillian. I'm so proud of the beautiful young woman you have become.

All my heart,

Your mother Regina."

Lillian was in shock. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She re-read the words Regina used to close the letter, "All my heart". She set the letter on the bench beside her and picked up the locket that Hung around her neck. She opened it and looked at the inscription. It was exactly the same, even the handwriting matched.

She looked up at Emma for confirmation. "Is it true? Is she really my mother?"

Emma nodded, "Yes."

Lillian shook her head in disbelief and closed her eyes. This had to be a dream. Emma walked over to the bench and sat down. "You may not know this, but I know exactly how you feel." Lillian didn't respond. Emma continued, "Up until about a year ago, I thought my mom had abandoned me. But when I came to Storybrooke I learned the truth: that she saved me by sending me here. She wanted to give me my best chance. My mom is Snow White."

Lillian looked up at Emma, "Snow White?"

Emma nodded, "Yep. It was really hard for me to believe it, but it's true. It's hard to deal with the idea that your mom gave you up, you feel hurt, confused, angry, sad...but I've also been on the other side of the equation."

Lillian didn't know that Emma was Henry's mother, "What do you mean?"

"Henry, Regina's adopted son, is mine. I gave him up when I was 18." Lillian's eyes widened in surprise at this new piece of information. Emma continued, "I know how it feels to find out you're pregnant and feel incapable of being a mother. Regina wasn't in a good place and she didn't want you to suffer because of it. She wanted you to have what she didn't feel like she could give you, a safe and happy life."

Lillian nodded, she could believe that. But one thing bothered her, it was the same thing that had nagged at Emma, "Why did she adopt Henry?"

Emma could see the hurt in Lillian's eyes. Regina had explained it to her but she knew that the girl needed to hear it from her mother. "That's something you would have to ask Regina."

Without meaning to, Emma had given Lillian an idea with her answer. She would ask her mother. She wanted to see her, even if it was just once. She would find a way to get to Fairytale Land before Regina destroyed the portal.

"Did Henry get a letter too?" Lillian asked.

"Yeah, he did."

"Have you given it to him yet?"

"Not yet. I'm going to after I leave here." Emma looked at her watch, her parents were probably back at the apartment by then.

Lillian thought about Henry, her little brother in a way, and wanted to talk to him. She wanted to know more about their mother. "Can I come with you?"

Emma considered this, she hadn't been able to find out yet if Regina had told Lillian her plan. It might be a good idea to bring her along and talk to her and Henry together. "Sure, that'd be fine."

Lillian smiled and stood up, "Thanks."

Emma returned the smile, "No problem."

They started walking toward the house when Lillian said thoughtfully, "So, if you're Snow White's daughter, does that make me your aunt?"

Emma looked at her with a little grin and said, "Yeah, I guess it does."

Lillian smiled and shook her head, "This is crazy."

Emma chuckled, "You have no idea."


	9. Chapter 9: The Son

Chapter 9: The Son

Lillian kept running her fingers over the apple blossom on her locket nervously as she rode with Emma to go meet her little brother. She wanted to meet Henry and ask him about their mother, what she was like, how it had been to grow up in their home, anything to ease the ache in her heart. It hadn't been there before; it started the second she found out that Regina was her mother. Emma was right, she was finding it difficult to deal with this new truth and all the conflicting emotions that came with it.

Emma noticed that Lillian seemed nervous, and so was she. She knew that the second they walked in the door Snow and Charming would be all over her, wanting to hear the whole story and make a plan to help Regina. She had to get them to be patient a little while longer, Henry still needed to read his letter and she wanted to make sure he didn't hear the truth about Lillian before then. And then there was the letter itself, how would Henry react to everything? They continued to ride in silence, both preparing for what they were about to face.

They pulled up to the building and climbed out of the cruiser. Emma shot Lillian a quick smile, trying to assure her. They started up the stairs, Emma leading the way, and as they climbed Lillian's stomach began to churn. When they reached the top Emma stopped so suddenly that Lillian ran into her.

"Oh!" Lillian backed up and looked at Emma who was frozen just outside the door. "What's wrong?"

Emma turned around to look at Lillian, "Give me just a second, ok? I need to get a couple of people out of the way so they don't blow it before Henry has a chance to read his letter." She raised her eyebrows, looking for an indication that Lillian understood. She did. She understood better than anyone the shock Henry would be experiencing shortly and it had to be done right.

"Of course," she said. "Who do you have to get rid of?"

With a sigh Emma replied, "My parents." She opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

Henry was sitting on the couch in the living room flipping through a comic book, too worried about his moms to really read it. His grandparents hadn't told him about Regina's decision or anything that happened at the council meeting, they wanted to wait for Emma. Snow was in the kitchen fixing sandwiches, trying to stay busy, while Charming tinkered with a loose table leg. The anxiety in the room was palpable.

As soon as Henry saw Emma he rushed over to her, "You're back! What happened? Grandma & grandpa wouldn't tell me anything."

"Whoa! Slow down,"Emma said with a smile. Henry's excitement and love for solving a mystery reminded her of herself when she was younger. "I promise I'm going to fill you in in just a minute, but I've got to talk to grandma & grandpa really quick first."

Henry nodded and sighed an impatient "Alright." He went back to pretending to read his comic book. Emma looked up at her parents, their eyes wide, anxious to know what she had found out. She nodded toward the stairs, indicating that they should follow her. The three of them went upstairs to the bedroom that the husband and wife now shared.

"Did you deliver the letter? What did you find out?" Snow was careful to whisper but her voice was still full of intensity.

Charming's voice matched his wife's, "Who is Lillian?"

Emma was mindful of the fact that Lillian was waiting for her out in hall so she decided not to beat around the bush. "She's Regina's daughter."

Her parents faces registered the shock of this revelation, and they exclaimed in unison, a bit too loudly. "What?!"

Henry's head whipped around to see what had caused their outburst. Emma shot them a look, reminding them to be quiet. After a few seconds of silence Charming repeated Emma's statement in an attempt to digest it. "She's Regina's daughter."

Emma nodded and looked at Snow, "And she's your little sister."

The look on Snow's face changed from one of shock and confusion to one of tenderness and melancholy as she realized what that meant. Lillian was the daughter of Regina and her father, King Leopold.

Relieved that neither of them seemed to have much to say about the subject, Emma took advantage of their silence and moved things along. "She's waiting out in the hall-"

"She's here?!"Snow interrupted.

"Yes," Emma said quickly. "She wanted to meet Henry. I'm going to go bring her in and then I'm going to give Henry his letter. I haven't had the chance to talk to her about what her's said yet so I thought we could just talk to them at the same time. But let's give them a minute before we pounce on them, ok?"

She looked at Charming first, who agreed. Then she looked at Snow who looked like she might burst into tears when she saw her little sister. That wouldn't be good. Emma made eye contact with her mother and said again, "Ok?"

Snow put her hands in front of herself defensively and nodded, "Ok, ok! I won't." Satisfied, Emma started down the stairs. Henry sat up eagerly, thinking Emma was finally going to explain what had happened. When she turned and walked to the door he was confused. Emma opened the door and looked out into the hallway. Lillian was sitting on the top stair of the last flight. She turned and looked at Emma who smiled and said kindly, "Are you ready?"

Lillian took a deep breath and nodded. She stood up and walked in the door.

Snow and Charming were coming down the stairs as Emma and Lillian entered the apartment. It took every ounce of self control she had for Snow not to gasp when she saw her sister for the first time. She was beautiful, with the same blue eyes Snow had also shared with her father. Lillian smiled, knowing full well who Snow was and their relationship to each other. That smile, just like her mother's. Snow hadn't seen that smile for many years, not since she and Regina were both much younger. It was the smile of the young woman who had saved her from a runaway horse, not the tense mask of the woman who married her father.

Lillian smiled politely at Snow and Charming, and then she saw Henry. She smiled tentatively at the boy who had no idea that she was his adopted sister. He gave a half hearted smile back and then looked at Emma for an explanation, "What's going on?"

Here we go, thought Emma. "Guys, this is Lillian. We're going to watch out for her for a while." Henry had waited long enough. He continued to stare up at his mother, she wasn't getting out of explaining what happened. Snow and Charming returned to what they had been doing in the kitchen while Emma sat down on the couch next to her son. Lillian sat in a chair to the right.

"Ok," Emma began. "The council made a decision, and your mom agreed." She paused, unsure how to phrase the next part. "She is going to face Cora."

Henry was surprised, the concern he felt for his mother was clear in his voice. "Where is she?"

"In the palace, in Fairytale Land, where the portal comes out," Emma replied.

"Is she there alone?" Henry was sounding more worried.

Emma hesitated, "Yes."

"What?! No, that's too dangerous. You've got to send somebody to help her. Mulan or..."

Emma stopped him. "We're trying to figure out a plan to help her."

Henry shook his head, "It's not fair, why did the council make her do that?"

"Henry," Emma said gently. "This is what she wanted." The boy's face reflected the confusion he felt. Emma knew he didn't understand so before he could ask another question she pulled his letter out of her pocket.

"She asked me to give you this," she said, handing him the letter.

Henry took the letter from Emma slowly. He was so confused, why had she written him a letter? Why did she want to fight Cora all by herself? Despite everything that had happened between him and his mom, Henry cared about her deeply and didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

He opened the letter and began to read

"My sweet Henry,

There is so much to say, I don't quite know where to start. I told you once that I wanted to redeem myself and I'm trying to prove that I meant that by doing the right thing now. That is why I have decided to stay behind in the Enchanted Forest and face Cora alone. It's not right to put anyone else in danger, I've done that enough in my life, but most importantly, I have to keep you safe.

I know I promised you I wouldn't use magic, but I need you to let me break that promise now. I need to have my magic to fight Cora and protect everyone. I hope you will understand.

This is going to be very dangerous, and I don't know if I will be able to come back to Storybrooke, if not, there are some things I need to tell you:

I'm sorry that I overreacted when you brought Emma to Storybrooke. I know that the things I did to keep her away from you pushed you farther away from me, but I was just so afraid of losing you. I've lost everyone I've ever loved and I couldn't bear losing my son too.

After the curse was broken and I tried to use magic to keep you with me you said that you didn't want to be like me. That upset me because I remember saying the same thing to my mother once, and I realized that I had become just like her. I was doing the same thing to you that she had done to me. You helped me to see that I had become what I had never wanted to be, and you made me want to change. Thank you for that Henry.

I know that you have doubted my motives as your mother, and have questioned if I even loved you. Please know that I have always loved you. Before I became your mother I was lonely and unhappy, but you changed all of that. You made me feel good and whole again. I wanted so badly to be a good mother to you, and it pains me, more than you'll ever know, that I failed. You don't know this Henry, but raising you was my second chance at being a mother. I have a daughter who I did not get to raise. Her name is Lillian, and she is sixteen years old. She was born in the Enchanted Forest and is in Storybrooke now. She never knew that I was her mother, but I have written her a letter, so she knows now. I don't know if you will, but if you decide you want to find her, you may. In fact, I would like that very much.

I hope you know that I mean every word I have written to you, Henry. I know that Emma will look after you so, in a way, I'm glad you brought her here. I don't know if we will see each other again, but if I can protect my children then it will be worth my sacrifice. I love you son.

All my heart,

Mom"

Without looking at anyone or saying a word, Henry carefully folded the letter back up. He sat for a moment, thinking about what his mom had just told him in her letter. Emma wasn't sure what to do, so she decided to let him talk when he was ready. Snow and Charming were holding their breath waiting for their grandson to react.

After a while Henry looked up, but not at Emma. He looked at Lillian. She had been watching him, just like the others, so their eyes met quickly. Several seconds passed as Henry sat studying her face. Then he spoke, "You look like her."

No one had mentioned to Lillian that she looked like her mother yet, and to hear it made her feel surprisingly emotional. Tears stung her eyes but she replied with a smile, "Really?"

Henry nodded and returned Lillian's smile. "When she was younger, especially your smile. But your eyes look like your dad, King Leopold's. And like my grandma's too."

Everyone was listening to Henry and they were all surprised at his reaction.

"How do you know that?" Lillian asked.

Henry picked up his storybook which was sitting on the coffee table. "Because of this." He handed the book to Lillian. She took it and ran her fingers over the letters on the cover. "She's in there a lot," he continued. "You can borrow it if you want."

Lillian held the book close to her, "Thank you Henry." He smiled a real smile at her this time, happy that he had made her happy. Then he looked over at Emma who was patiently waiting to learn what Regina was planning. His face became very serious and he looked down sadly.

"We've got to find a way to save my mom," he said quietly.

"I know." Emma scooted a little closer to Henry. "Did she mention any specifics about her plan?"

"Not really," Henry said.

"She said that she is going to destroy the portal before Cora can get through," Lillian offered.

Emma had been right. Henry and Lillian both went on to share the details of their letters, her reasons for doing this and what she thought Cora was after. Even with all that information they weren't really any closer to coming up with a plan. They realized that even if they went through the portal to try to talk to her, she could easily just knock them back through. The bottom line was that if Regina didn't want anyone else there to face Cora, it wasn't going to be hard for her to get her way.

Everyone was feeling frustrated. But then an idea clicked for Lillian: she was the key. If she went through the portal, like she planned on doing, then she could talk Regina into coming back to Storybrooke. Maybe if she saw Lillian, her mother would be motivated to fight harder, without destroying the portal. Of course, Emma and the others would never go for it, but she would need some help. She didn't know where the entrance to the portal was...but Henry probably did. He wanted to save their mother too, surely she could talk him into helping her.

Yes, it would work, it had to work. She still wasn't sure why she wanted to help Regina so desperately, after all, she had done horrible things as the Queen in the Enchanted Forest. But she was still her mother, and it sounded like she had changed. Lillian wanted to see for herself and, unless she went through the portal, she would never get the chance. She was determined that she would get through the portal and save her mother.


	10. Chapter 10: The Apple Tree

Chapter 10: The Apple Tree

An hour had passed, and Emma, Charming and Snow were still huddled around the kitchen table working on a plan to help Regina. Her children, Henry and Lillian, had been flipping through the storybook together, mostly reading about Regina and Snow. A bond had already started forming between the siblings, and they were truly enjoying being together.

Snow kept stealing glances at her sister and grandson. She desperately wanted to get to know Lillian and was envious of the time she and Henry were getting to spend together.

Lillian turned to the next page in the book. She started a bit when she saw that the picture on this page was of Regina standing in front of an apple tree. She recognized that it was exactly the same type as the tree she had grown up with.

"Henry, what's this?"

Henry looked at the picture, "That's mom by her apple tree."

"Her apple tree? Was it special?"

"It must be. She's had it ever since she was little, and when she married the King she had it brought to the palace." Lillian nodded, thinking about her own tree and how similar it was, she had had her's since she was a child too.

Henry continued, "She even brought it to Storybrooke."

Lillian turned quickly to look at her brother. "It's HERE?"

Henry didn't understand why Lillian was so excited about a tree. "Yeah...it's in our backyard. It looks exactly the same too. Well, it did until Emma took a chain saw to it." He chuckled a bit at that last detail, remembering the incident.

Lillian ignored the part about the chain saw. This was a big deal to her, it was like finding a crucial peice of a puzzle, something that connected her with her mother. She had to see this tree. "Henry," she said quietly. "Will you take me to see it?" He looked confused, so she elaborated. "This tree was important to her and, I don't know, maybe if I see it I'll feel closer to her somehow."

Henry considered this for a moment, he could see this meant a lot to his sister. "Sure, I'll take you there. But we've got to ask first." Lillian nodded and the two walked over to the table.

"Hey, Emma?" Henry still called her by her name, but they had become very close. Emma turned to look at her son as he asked his question. "Can I take Lillian to mom's house? She wants to see the apple tree."

Emma looked at Lillian who gave a pleading smile. She had already discovered the apple connection between Lillian and Regina, so she understood why she wanted to see the tree. "Yeah, I guess that would be alright. But not by yourselves." She went to stand up to go with them when Snow beat her to it.

"I'll go, Emma. I'd like to stretch my legs and get some air." Snow smiled at her daughter.

"Alright, " Emma conceded. "Why don't we meet at Granny's in an hour for dinner?" They all agreed and the threesome headed out the door.

It did feel good to be outside after waiting in the apartment so long, but the real reason Snow offered to tag along was because she wanted a chance to talk to her sister.

Lillian walked in the middle with her little brother on her right and her big sister, who also happened to be her brother's grandma, on her left. This had to be the strangest family ever.

"I bet today has been a pretty crazy day for you, huh?" Snow was trying to get the conversation going.

"Yeah, it sure has." Lillian kicked a small rock out of the way. Silence resumed. Snow had been waiting for what felt like days to talk to Lillian and she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Listen," she said, putting her hand on Lillian's arm. "I'm not going to pretend that I know what you're thinking or how you're feeling about all of this, but I just want you to know that you're not alone." Lillian turned her head to look at Snow as they continued walking. "Your whole world may have been turned upside-down, but you gained a family. And, disfunctional as it may be, I'm so happy we found you." Lillian smiled, she wasn't the only one that thought this family situation was strange. Snow returned the smile and went on, "If you want to ask any questions or just talk about anything, I'm here for you. That's what big sisters are for, right?"

Big sister. That genuinely made Lillian happy. She had known of Snow in the Enchanted Forest, and had heard of her bravery and kindness. She was proud to be able to call her sister. "Thanks, Snow."

As they walked on Lillian thought about her sister and father and what her mother had said in her letter about being unhappy, and gaining her freedom and revenge. She began to wonder what exactly Regina had done to them. Her face showed that she was struggling with the questions now running through her mind. Snow noticed.

"Lillian," she asked tentatively. "Is there something you want to talk about?" Lillian wanted to ask this question of Snow, but she also didn't want to upset her. "You can ask me anything," Snow encouraged.

Lillian decided to go ahead, "She killed our father, didn't she?"

Snow was a little surprised at the question, but she knew that it was something her sister needed to understand. "Yes, she did."

Hearing her suspicions confirmed set Lillian off. "Then why do you want to save her? After that and everything else she's done, how can you even stand to be in the same room with her? Doesn't it make you so...angry?"

Snow stayed very calm. "It did, for a very long time. I was very angry with Regina. But, after some time, I've come to understand, at least a little bit, why she did those things. And I've decided that it's not really her fault."

Her answer surprised Lillian. "What do you mean?"

Snow spoke thoughtfully, trying to express herself clearly. "Regina has had someone manipulating her every step of the way, since she was a child. Starting with her own mother."

"She said her mother used magic to control her," Lillian added.

"She did. Cora used Regina in an effort to get more power for herself, by forcing her to marry our father. She treated Regina like a puppet in her master plan, but what she didn't plan on was her daughter standing up to her. Even after Regina freed herself from her mother, someone else was waiting to take control of the strings, Rumplestiltskin. He manipulated her into learning dark magic, and eventually, casting the curse that sent us all here." Lillian hadn't known about all that, it made her feel sad for her mother.

"How long have you known her?"

"Since I was a little girl," Snow replied. "She saved my life once."

Lillian was not expecting that. "Really?"

"Yes. When I was about 9, I was riding my horse through the countryside when he suddenly went wild. I was terrified. I was screaming for someone to help me, when all of the sudden this girl rode up beside me. She pulled me off of my horse and onto hers. It was Regina." Lillian smiled, she loved the idea of her mother doing something so heroic.

Snow continued, "I was so shaken up, I said that I would never ride again, but she told me that I needed to face my fears and get back on the horse as soon as possible. She was so beautiful, brave, and kind, I loved her instantly. When I got home and told father about what had happened and about the beautiful young woman who had saved me, he decided that any woman who would risk her life for his daughter was worthy to be her mother.

"The next day he went to her house and proposed. Her mother accepted, and Regina was heartbroken because she was in love with someone else. Daniel, the stable boy, who her mother never would have approved of. She went to tell him what had happened and I saw them kissing. I was so upset, I had wanted Regina to be my mother and she was kissing another man. I ran off in tears, and she came after me. She explained that she loved this young man, and that they were going to run away to be together. I wanted her to be happy so I promised to keep her secret and let her.

Snow paused and her face became sad. "But I didn't keep my promise. Cora convinced me that she only wanted Regina to be happy too, so I told her about their plans. She confronted them on the night they planned to run away and she killed Daniel, right in front of Regina. She has blamed me ever since. " So, that was the whole story. Regina had mentioned the incident in her letter, but hearing it from Snow's perspective made it seem sadder; she could hear the regret her sister felt.

Snow cleared her throat, fighting the emotion that had come into her voice. "So, to answer your question, I'm trying to save your mother because I want to save that girl who saved me. Because I know she's still in there." The two sisters looked at each other, and Lillian was amazed at Snow's goodness. She wanted to believe that she was right, that the old Regina was still alive. She felt incredibly grateful to Snow for believing it too. Lillian slipped her arm through Snow's and rested her head on her shoulder. Snow leaned her head against her little sister's and heard her say quietly, "Thank you."

* * *

Regina stared out the window and absently fiddled with her necklace. It was the one she wore most of the time, a delicate gold pendant of an apple tree. She had been watching the sky throughout the day, it had slowly been growing darker as clouds mounded higher and higher above the trees. Her mother was getting closer, she could feel it. The energy in the air was electric, magic was everywhere.

She had spent most of the day brushing up on defensive spells and devising a strategic plan for destroying the portal. It had to be done just right, and because she would probably only get one chance at it, she had to make sure it would work.

Her thoughts went to Henry and Lillian often. She couldn't help wondering how they had taken the news, especially her daughter. Whenever she thought of them her resolve to close the portal and keep them safe grew. It wouldn't be long now. She continued to keep watch and held tighter to her necklace as if it connected her to her children, tying them together across space and time.

* * *

Lillian stared up at the grand white house in awe. It was so strange. Having lived in Storybrooke for 28 years she had obviously noticed the Mayor's home before, but it had never meant anything to her; neither had the people who lived inside it, for that matter. That got her to thinking, how many times had she seen her mother and never paid any attention to her? Surely she had seen her occasionally at town functions and things. How strange that must have been for Regina to see her daughter and not be able to speak to her as such, to forever be a stranger to her own flesh and blood.

That idea also prompted another question: what about in the Enchanted Forest? Had they had any interactions there? Lillian tried hard to remember.

* * *

For four years Regina had tried to forget the little daughter she had given up. But for four years she had only been haunted by the memory of the child. She threw herself into her magic, letting it take away the pain, but that only worked while she was awake. The girl filled Regina's dreams, and they were getting worse. She dreaded closing her eyes at night for fear of the guilt and pain she would experience. Finally, she decided that the only way to ease her conscience was to see for herself that the girl was indeed better off without her.

One evening she snuck out of the castle and rode to Marie's home. The family was inside sitting down to supper. Regina silently crept up to the window and peeked in. She saw her daughter sitting at the table waiting for her dinner. She was as beautiful as Regina remembered and for the briefest moment a smile crossed her lips. She looked around the room to see what the family would be eating but the sight was not the one she had been hoping for.

Marie carefully placed a small portion of broth into a bowl in front of the child. The girl looked at the tiny meal and asked, "Broth again mother?"

Marie smiled sheepishly at her and replied, "Just for a few more days love, until papa can sell the last of the harvest. Now, be a good girl and eat up." The child obeyed.

Regina pulled back from the window, they were starving. She raced back to the castle. This was worse than the dreams, this was real and her daughter was the one suffering. She had to do something. She called one of the guards and instructed him to find Marie's husband and buy any crop he had left, he was then to report back to her every detail about their farm: what they grew, how much land they had etc.

The guard learned that while the family had excellent soil and normally grew several crops that did quite well, Marie's husband had fallen seriously ill in the last planting season and had not been able to tend to the crops properly. The result was a loss of nearly half their normal harvest.

Regina was saddened by the hardship the family now faced and she resolved to make it right. The previous fall she had overseen the planting of an apple orchard near the palace, the trees were still young but would be ready to produce fine fruit for the coming year. She ordered every single tree to be dug up and placed on wagons, they were going to be transplanted somewhere else.

A few days later Regina's carriage pulled up to Marie's home. The family was stunned to see the royal carriage and worried that there was some kind of three of them stood by, heads bowed in respect as the Queen climed down. Regina looked over the farm, inspecting the general conditions. After she had completed her inspection she stood before Marie's husband. The man bowed himself even lower, "Your Majesty," he started to say.

Regina cut him off, "You may arise." The man cautiously straightened himself, and Marie and Lillian follwed suit. Regina continued, "I hear that your soil is some of the richest in the kingdom. As you may know, I am very fond of apples, but have yet to find a farmer capable of producing a crop to meet my expectations." The man looked confused but did not dare ask any questions. "I have decided to have my own private orchard grown, however there is not sufficient room for it at the palace. Therefore, I have decided that you shall have the honor of having my orchard planted on your farm."

Regina motioned to the guards to begin unloading the trees, "My guards shall help you plant them, and you will care for them, and harvest them. I shall take all that I want and then you may sell the remainder for your profit." Both Marie and her husband looked stunned. It would have cost them a fortune to buy this many saplings, and considering how many there were, they would be able to sell nearly half the harvest every autumn, if not more. It was very generous.

Marie and her husband thanked Regina again and again, which she waved off. As the couple observed the planting of the trees Regina took the opportunity to get a closer look at her daughter. She sat on a tree stump near the house rocking a small homemade doll in her arms like a baby. Regina watched her for a moment, enjoying the way the girl sang softly to the doll. Marie came over to check on the child, Regina replaced the careful mask she had trained her face to assume, devoid of emotion. She knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help herself. "What a beautiful child," she said to Marie.

Marie beamed as proudly as any parent, "Thank you, your Majesty."

"What is her name?" She desperately wanted to know.

"Lillian. Her name is Lillian, ma'am."

Regina repeated the name in a whisper, "Lillian." When she said her name Lillian looked up at her mother and smiled. Regina returned the smile and then asked one of the footmen to bring something from the carriage. It was a very young sapling, with a cloth wrapped around its roots. The man placed the tree next to Regina who bent down to speak to Lillian.

"I brought something for you, Lillian. It's a very special tree, and it's to be your very own. It is a sapling from my tree that I've had since I was a little girl." Lillian eyed the tree impressed by how important it sounded. "Can you promise to take very good care of this tree, Lillian?"

"Yes, I will," she replied softly.

"That's very nice of you, your Majesty," Marie said. "What do you say, dear?"

"Thank you, your Majesty," Lillian said with a little bow. Regina nodded and Lillian ran to her tree, inspecting it curiously.

Marie smiled at the Queen and said cheerfully, "This is so kind if you, ma'am. I don't know what we've done to deserve it."

Regina looked around the farm and then back at Marie, "My guards will be returning occasionally to ensure you are...caring for them properly." She meant both Lillian and the trees. Lowering her voice to sound more intimidating she added, "See you don't disappoint me." The smile faded from Marie's face.

"Yes your Majesty."

Regina turned, climbed back into her carriage and stole one last look at Lillian before the carriage pulled away.

* * *

Lillian had forgotten the memory until this very moment. Staring up at the very tree hers had come from, her mother's tree, had brought the memory back to her. She stepped closer to the tree and placed her hand gently on the trunk. She imagined her mother caring for the tree, pruning it, and picking the beautiful red apples, just as she had done for her own tree. It struck her how symbolic her mother's gift had been. It was like she had given Lillian a piece of herself, something that only the two of them could share.

As she stood there the emotions she had been trying to deal with all day became overwhelming. She burst out into tears, unable to control or hide them. Snow ran to her side and without a word swept her into a big hug. Henry came over too, a little unsure of what to do, but he was concerned about his sister. She cried non-stop for a few minutes before she finally felt able to control herself. She started to settle down a bit so she apologized for breaking down. Snow pulled back a little and said with a smile, "It's alright. You've been through a lot today." She smoothed her little sister's hair gently and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

"Maybe some water,"Lillian replied.

"I'll be right back, "Snow answered, happy to help.

As soon as she was inside Lillian turned to Henry and spoke very seriously, "Henry, I need your help. I need you to show me where the entrance to the portal is so I can go through and see mom."

"What?!" Henry was floored by her request. "You can't do that, it's too dangerous."

"I have to Henry. It's the only way to save her."

"But you heard what Emma said, if anyone goes through she'll just use her powers to knock them back."

Lillian shook her head, "Not if it's me. Not if I explain that I needed to see her, that we want her to come back."

Henry thought about what she was saying, he knew that she was probably right. But it would be dangerous and he would have to lie to Emma to do it, which, given her ability to know when people are lying, could be problematic.

Snow was coming back outside with a tray of ice waters for all if them. Lillian looked at him, begging him to agree. "Please Henry," she whispered.

"Alright," he said quickly as Snow approached. Lillian smiled at him and mouthed, "Thank you." Henry was in.


	11. Chapter 11: The Reunion

Chapter 11: The Reunion

The two sisters, Snow and Lillian, sat on the bench beneath Regina's apple tree discussing the new connection Lillian had discovered between her mother and herself. Henry sat on the ground nearby lost in his own thoughts. His "sister" had just asked him to help her save their mother by lying to his biological mother and grandparents. His head was swimming.

Lying to Emma was going to be tricky if not impossible because of her so-called super-power. Plus, he'd rather not lie to his mom if he didn't have to. Their relationship had improved so much and he didn't want to do anything that might set them back. So, he had to figure out how to get him and Lillian to Regina's vault before they went to meet Emma and Charming at Granny's.

Suddenly an idea struck him: what if he told Snow that his mother had told him in her letter that she had left something for him in her vault? They could swing by the cemetery on the way to Granny's. That part felt believable, at least he thought his grandmother would buy it. But distracting her so she couldn't stop Lillian from going through the portal, that would be more difficult.

"I'm going to go up to my room for a minute, there's something I need to grab," he explained to Lillian and Snow. He decided to try to find something that could help cause a distraction.

Henry opened the door to his old room, his old life. He recalled the last time he had been there: his mom had used magic to intimidate everyone in town and forced him to come home with her. When he tried to climb out the window she used magic to stop him, and tried to convince him that magic could make their lives better. He rejected her and her magic.

But then she did something completely unexpected: she let him go. She told him she wanted to change, and he wanted to believe her so badly. She spent the next several weeks trying to prove that she meant what she had said, and now she was sacrificing herself to protect everyone. That was not something she would have done before, she HAD changed and Henry was proud of her for keeping her promise. He truly wanted her to come back. Lillian was the key, if Regina knew that they both wanted her to come back then she might find a way to defeat Cora without closing the portal. He would help his sister, he had to, for his mom.

He looked around the room for anything that he could use as a distraction. Then he remembered a box of firecrackers he had stashed in the back of his closet. He went to the spot where he had hidden them, they were still there. He stuffed them unto his backpack and went down to the kitchen to find a lighter. Once he found one he went back outside, "Here goes nothing," he thought.

Lillian and Snow were smiling, apparently their chat had been pleasant. They both looked up and smiled him when he closed the door behind him. Henry noticed how natural they looked together, and sitting next to each other like that the resemblance between them was more obvious. They truly looked like sisters.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Snow asked casually.

"Yeah, I did." Henry shot Lillian a look, trying to warn her to follow his lead. "I was wondering," he continued. "My mom said in her letter that she left something for me in her vault, do you think we could go get it before we go to Granny's?"

Lillian understood that he was trying to get them there to get her through the portal. She also understood that it would be much easier to get past Snow than if Emma and Charming were there too. "Yeah,"she added. "She said she left something for me too. Can we?"

Snow considered this and looked at her watch. They were supposed to meet Emma and Charming in 30 minutes. "I don't know guys, we don't have a lot of time..."

"Please," Henry begged. "It won't take long, I promise." Snow was still wavering.

"Please, Snow," Lillian put her hand on her sister's arm. "I feel like I'm finally getting to know my mother."

That did it. Snow always melted for people who missed their mothers. She smiled at her little sister sympathetically. "Alright. Let's hurry."

As they walked toward the cemetery Lillian began to feel more and more nervous. She wasn't sure what she was getting herself into. But she knew why she was doing this: to save her mother. Despite the evil things Regina had done the fact remained that she was her mother, and she had been trying to change. She wasn't sure what she hoped would happen after she saved her mother, if they would ever be able to have any sort of mother/daughter relationship, but she knew that if she didn't do something to save her then the answer would be no.

They reached the cemetery and made their way toward the center of the grounds, where Regina's vault lay. Henry reached behind him and slowly unzipped his backpack. He reached inside and pulled out the firecrackers. They were approaching the vault from behind and to the right, which was good because it meant he could wait until Snow turned the corner of the building before he lit and threw them. He positioned himself so that Lillian was between him and Snow and waited for the right time.

Snow turned the corner and in one quick move Henry struck the lighter and lit the fuse. He threw the firecrackers behind him as hard as he could and grabbed Lillian's hand. He sprinted toward the door dragging his sister behind him. Just as they passed a bewildered Snow the firecrackers began exploding, diverting her attention. The two men that had been asked to guard the entrance came running over to Snow for orders.

"Over there," she shouted over the commotion, pointing in the direction they had just come. Then she addressed Henry and Lillian you two stay here, we'll be right back!" The three of them took off to investigate the disturbance.

"Hurry," Henry called to Lillian as he pushed open the door to the vault. The quickly ducked inside and found a board to brace the door with, that would hopefully buy them a little more time.

They raced down the stairs into what appeared to be the main room. Lillian looked all around, she didn't see anything that looked like a portal. "Where is it?" she asked.

"Under here," Henry gestured to the tomb of Regina's father. He pushed it as hard as he could, Lillian jumped in to help him and together they moved it aside, revealing another staircase. There was no time to be amazed by this, they hurried down the stairs into the actual vault. This time Lillian didn't have to look around for the portal, the swirling vortex of black and purple took up a good portion of the floor. Her nerves suddenly took over and she backed slowly away from the portal.

Henry noticed her fear and took her by the hand, "It's ok, I've seen lots of people go through." Lillian looked at him but still seemed afraid. Suddenly there was fierce pounding on the door to the entrance. Snow could be heard shouting their names. "You have to hurry," he urged.

Lillian knew he was right, it wouldn't be long before Snow and the guards broke through the board keeping the door locked and then someone would probably come through the portal after her and bring her back. It was now or never.

"Where will I come out?" she asked.

"In Snow and Charming's castle, " Henry replied.

Lillian nodded and then asked, "And she'll be there?"

Henry considered her question. Of course he couldn't know for certain that their mother would still be there, but he understood that that wasn't what she was really asking. She wanted his assurance that they really had a shot at saving Regina.

Henry smiled, "She'll be there."

Lillian returned his smile. She had truly grown fond of her little brother. "Thank you Henry." She pulled

him into a quick hug and then released him before she jumped into the portal.

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Inside the portal Lillian felt like she was in a free fall. He arms and legs flailed frantically, helpless against the force that pulled her downward. A small light appeared below her and gradually got bigger, "This must be my exit," she thought. Unsure how she would enter the room she crossed her arms in front of her face and braced herself for impact as the light encompassed her.

Bracing for impact turned out to be a good idea as she was flung head first out of the portal landing full force on her stomach and arms, then sliding about three feet. The impact knocked the wind out of her so she laid there for a moment gasping for breath before she could take in her surroundings.

Regina had been standing by the window watching the storm outside grow as her mother drew nearer. She was close, very close and Regina had begun preparing herself to face Cora when a loud noise from the direction of the portal diverted her attention. She turned swiftly to face the portal, afraid that her mother had appeared behind her. When she saw the dark haired girl sprawled on the floor she knew instantly who it was.

"Lillian!" Regina ran over to where her daughter laid and knelt down by her side to help her sit up. "Are you alright?"

Lillian struggled to catch her breath as she rolled over onto her side. With Regina's help she rose to a sitting position, and found herself face to face with the Evil Queen, her mother. The two sat in silence for a few seconds, each drinking in the sight that was before them. For Lillian, this was the first time she had seen Regina since learning that she was her mother. And Regina, while she had kept an eye on Lillian discreetly since she was a child, had not been able to observe her this close since she was very young.

"Yes, I'm fine." Lillian tried to appear fine despite the fact that her right arm had been injured when she came through the portal.

"What are you doing here?" Regina was slightly panicked that her daughter was there, so close to the danger. Lillian knew she had to talk fast to convince her mother not to send her back.

"I wanted to see you."

This touched Regina, but she quickly shrugged it off. She had to get Lillian to safety. "No, it's too dangerous."

Lillian's voice filled with sudden emotion, "But I HAD to see you! Even if it's only this once."

"Lillian, you can't be here. My mother is coming NOW. You have to go back." Regina tried to speak firmly but gently. She stood up and Lillian followed suit.

"Then come with me."

The pleading in her voice pulled at Regina's heart. "I can't. I have to stop her."

"We can stop her from Storybrooke. You can destroy the portal from that side and she won't be able to get through."

"She'd find another way. This is how it has to be. I have to stay here and face her." Regina turned toward the portal preparing to send Lillian back.

"You can't close the portal!" Lillian was almost shouting, her voice quivered with emotion. She took a step closer to Regina who turned to look at her daughter. "If you do, then I'll never have the chance to know you." Lillian took another step, closing the gap between them. "Don't you want to know me?"

Regina's heart ached and tears began to form. She saw the pleading in her daughter's deep blue eyes, desperately begging for her to concede. She wanted to pull her into an embrace and assure her that everything would be alright, but that was a promise she couldn't make. Instead she gently brushed the hair away from the girl's face and tried to explain. "Lillian, I want that more than anything. But I can't let anything happen to you, I have to keep you safe."

"And I have to keep YOU safe." Lillian kept her eyes locked on Regina's, as if she could hold her there with her gaze. "Mother," the word was spoken with a sob. "Please...let me stay with you."

For the second time in her life the word "mother" caused a reaction in Regina that made her change her mind. She had finally been reunited with her daughter and she couldn't bear to be parted from her now.

Her response was a whisper, "Alright."

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"Henry! Lillian! Open the door!" Snow continued to yell to her grandson and sister despite the fact that they had not yet responded. The two guards continued to shoulder the doors, trying to force them to open. She was starting to panic. "Keep trying, I'm calling Emma." She pulled out her cell phone and made the call.

Less than sixty seconds later Emma and Charming came barreling into the cemetery parking lot and drove right up onto the lawn all the way to the vault. They came running up to the doors.

"What the hell is going on?" Emma demanded.

Snow explained what happened, "They told me that Regina had left something for each of them in her vault and asked if we could come get them. As we were walking up to the door they lit firecrackers and threw them over there to distract us, then they ran inside and barred the door."

Emma looked furious. She marched up to the doors and kicked them violently. "Henry! Open the door right now!" When there was no response she yelled again, "Lillian!" Still nothing. "Alright," she addressed the group. "On the count of three we all rush the door and bust it open. Ready? One, two-"

"Alright, alright!" Henry interrupted.

Emma heard him, "Stop! Stop! Henry?"

"I'll open the door," came the sheepish reply. He removed the board and the doors blew open as Emma rushed in.

"Henry, what were you two thinking?! Why did you lock the door? You scared us all half to death!" She was down on her knees so she could look her son in the eyes. Charming and the guards did a quick sweep of the vault.

"Emma, Lillian's not here." Charming's voice was worried.

Emma's heart dropped. She turned to look at Henry again, "Where is she?"

"She went through the portal." Henry's head dropped in anticipation of the lecture he was sure to receive.

"What?! Why?"

"She wanted to save our mom...We both did." He looked up at Emma, hoping she would understand.

"How were you guys planning on doing that? You know how dangerous Cora is."

"Lillian's going to try to convince her not to destroy the portal. She's the only one my mom will maybe listen to. We couldn't just let her die."

That softened her heart. She didn't exactly like Regina, but she wasn't willing to let her die either. She could only imagine how Henry and Lillian had felt about saving her. "I know," she said softly and pulled him into a hug.

"What do we do now?" Charming was ready for action, they needed a plan.

Emma stood up, "Well, Regina doesn't want Lillian there, it's way too dangerous. She'll probably just send her right back."

"So...we wait?" Her father wasn't exactly a wait-it-out kind of guy.

Neither was Snow, "No! We can't wait. We go now and bring her back."

Emma took a step closer to her mother, "Listen, I understand that you're worried, we all are, but let's just give it a minute before we go busting in there, guns a blazing."

Her words did nothing to calm Snow. "That is my sister in there and I'm not going to sit here and wait around, hoping that things will work out. I mean, we don't even know what's been going on over there. What if something has already happened to Regina? Cora could have Lillian right now!"

Emma tried to be rational, "I don't think that's likely. If Regina was out of the way Cora wouldn't waste any time before coming to Storybrooke. I think we should wait this out for a bit."

"Why? Why are you willing to wait?"

"Because I think Henry is right. Lillian probably is the only person Regina would listen to. And it's not like we had a better plan. If she doesn't come back in a few minutes, then we will go after her, but let's at least give her a chance to save her mother." Emma looked at Snow with pleading eyes. Just a few weeks ago Snow had launched herself through a portal to protect her and the two of them had been trapped in Fairy Tale land until Henry and Charming put themselves in danger, including a sleeping curse, to find a way to bring them home. If anyone could understand doing something dangerous to save family, it was the Charmings.

All of this came into Snow's mind as well. She did understand, and she agreed. "Okay."

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"Cora will be here soon, so we've got to figure out where you-"

Lillian winced at Regina's touch on her forearm and a small cry of pain escaped.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I just scraped my arm a little coming through the portal."

Regina took Lillian's hand and turned it over so she could see her injury. She could only catch a glimpse before Lillian pulled her hand away.

"You're bleeding," Regina said with concern.

Lillian was hurt, it was a bad scrape and it stung a lot, but she didn't want Regina to think she was weak. She didn't want her to change her mind about letting her stay.

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. Let me see."

Lillian held up her hand obediently. Regina gently turned it over to get a better look. She grimaced as she saw the extent of her daughter's injury. "I can fix this," she offered warmly.

"Alright." Lillian was excited and a little nervous to see her mother use magic.

Regina led her to a pair of chairs that sat against the wall. They sat down and Regina slowly began passing her hand over Lillian's arm. She looked up at her daughter, and tried to think of something to say. "How did you get here? I thought Miss Swan was supposed to be watching out for you."

Lillian noticed the way Regina sort of spat out Emma's name. She didn't understand why, but she figured there was some bad blood there, probably because of Henry.

"Henry helped me."

Regina looked up quickly at the mention of her son's name, surprised that he would have been involved. "Henry?"

Lillian nodded. "He didn't want you to close the portal either." Henry had told her a little about the difficulties of his relationship with their mother, so Lillian wanted to reassure her. "He really cares about you."

Regina smiled slightly as she thought about her son. It warmed her heart to hear that.

"Oh, and he asked me to tell you 'Hi'."

That brought a full smile to Regina's lips, which Lillian returned. It was nice to see her like that, Lillian couldn't remember seeing her mother actually look happy before. She had always been so guarded and professional as the mayor and even more aloof as the Queen.

Regina recognized her own smile in her daughter's. She looked down at Lillian's arm, the injury was completely healed. She gently stroked the place where it had been damaged only moments before. "There, all better."

Lillian looked down at her arm in amazement. It was perfect, not a bruise or scar anywhere. She moved her arm around, relieved that the pain was gone. She looked up at her mother and smiled warmly. "Thank you."

Regina smiled back, "You're welcome."

They sat in silence for a moment, neither one sure what to say. Lillian looked down nervously, and then back up at her mother. "And thank you...for your letter."

Regina felt a little embarrassed, when she wrote that letter she never thought that she would see Lillian again. As she said in the letter, she knew that her daughter deserved more of an explanation than she could give that way, and now she had the chance to say everything. She took Lillian's hand, "I know it wasn't ideal, but I wanted you to know-" A crash of thunder interrupted Regina and she was reminded of the coming danger. She looked into her daughter's eyes, "She's here."

Lillian nodded. They stood up and Regina quickly formulated a plan. "Come over here." She led Lillian along the wall across from the portal to the spot where there was a corner she could hide behind. "Stay here, and try to keep out of sight as much as possible."

"Alright," Lillian agreed.

Regina continued her instructions, "And you have to do exactly as I say," Lillian nodded. Regina took a breath before she spoke again, her tone very serious, "Even if I tell you to go through the portal and leave me."

Lillian was confused, "But you said I could stay with you."

"And you can, unless it gets too dangerous." She waited for her daughter to agree but Lillian was reluctant. Regina put her hand on her Lillian's shoulder, "Promise me."

Lillian felt tears well up in her eyes, "I promise."

Regina smiled and squeezed her daughter's shoulder before she turned to walk back toward the window. Lillian looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. "Lillian," her mother called to her. Their eyes met and Lillian saw tears in Regina's as she spoke, "Thank you...for coming here." They exchanged one last matching smile, and then Regina walked out of sight. Her words felt a little like a goodbye, which scared Lillian, but they also made her very happy. She was glad she came too, no matter what happened.

Regina reached the window just as another clap of thunder sounded and the glass shattered. She covered her face and waited for the air to clear. The clouds that had been slowly forming around the castle all day were now thick and black. The air was heavy and the wind whipped fiercely through the broken window. With a final glance back in Lillian's direction Regina positioned herself in front of the portal. When she first arrived back in Fairy Tale land it felt strange to be wearing her gray dress and matching blazer instead of one of the dramatic gowns she had worn when she ruled this kingdom as the Evil Queen. But now, as she stood prepared to face her mother with her daughter near by it felt right. She was no longer the Evil Queen, she was Regina again. And Regina was about to take her life back.


	12. Chapter 12: The Mother

**Author's note**: Sorry it took me so long to post an update. The holidays kept me quite busy, but I am happy to give you this latest chapter. I am having a blast writing this little story, and I hope you are enjoying it too. Chapter 13 will be posted shortly. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 12: The Mother

Regina stood waiting for her mother to appear in the great hall of Prince Charming and Snow White's palace. She continually swept the enormous room with her eyes, unsure how and where Cora would choose to appear. Before long a thin stream of purple smoke began flowing into the room through the broken window on the West wall. The smoke trickled down the gray stone wall to the floor and continued in a steady stream toward the center of the room, about 20 feet from Regina. Once it reached this point the smoke began to swirl, slowly rising until it was as tall as a person. After all the smoke had gathered in the swirling funnel it began to dissolve, and magically Cora appeared before her daughter.

Lillian knew her mother wanted her to stay out of sight, but she couldn't stand not knowing what was happening. She crept as close to the edge of the corner as she dared and peeked with one eye. She marveled at the flowing purple smoke and the woman who conjured it. Her grandmother certainly did like a dramatic entrance.

Cora's eyes were focused on her daughter, and Regina stared right back; her face was the polished emotionless mask she had trained herself to wear as Mayor. Cora gave a quick smile before she finally spoke, "Regina, I didn't expect to see you here." Her tone was surprisingly casual, as if mother and daughter had simply bumped into each other at a shop.

"Hello, mother," Regina responded keeping her voice even and cool.

Cora seemed genuinely happy to see her daughter. "You look so...different," she said, her smile growing wider as she inspected Regina's unfamiliar clothing. "I guess this is the fashion in Storybrooke. I'm afraid I'll be a bit over dressed," she looked down at her own floor length gown and then back up at her daughter. "I can't wait to see it, and my grandson of course."

Regina's face remained unchanged. She was familiar with the almost sickly sweet tone her mother was using. It was the same tone she had used when Regina was young; the tone she used to draw her daughter in and make her feel like she truly cared, only to then manipulate her into doing something she didn't want to do. Regina wasn't fooled by her mother's attempt to act like this was a happy reunion, and she refused to play her game. "You're not going to Storybrooke."

Cora shook her head slightly, as if she hadn't heard Regina right. "I'm not?"

"No." Cora's smile faded at Regina's flat response, her eyes narrowed and her mouth tightened. She could see Regina was not going to play along.

"You don't seem pleased to see me dear." When Regina didn't respond Cora spoke again, "You're here to stop me from going through the portal?"

"Yes, I am. I'm not going to let you hurt anyone."

"Who said anything about hurting anyone? I'm only here to help you." Cora slipped back into the innocent tone she was using before.

Regina was skeptical, "Help me?"

"I know what has happened Regina." Cora took a step closer to her daughter. "I know your curse is broken. I know you lost your power and your control over the people." She took another step, trying to close the gap between them. "I can help you get it all back."

Regina took a step back, increasing the distance between them again. "I don't need your help. I don't want power over them, I don't want any of it."

"So you've gone from cursing them to being their defender? That's quite the change." She decided to push her daughter harder. "What about your son? I know you've lost him to his real mother."

Regina shook her head and smiled, "I haven't lost Henry. I have him now in a way I never had him before. And it's because I let go of the power and magic."

Cora wasn't convinced. "I know you Regina. I know you could never walk away from all that."

"I can and I have."

Lillian smiled, she was proud of her mother for standing her ground. Cora was getting frustrated, "You're blinded by your loss! Are you willing to just throw away what I worked for a lifetime to give you, and what you've worked for another lifetime to gain?"

"What you gave me?" Regina was growing tired of this game. "You gave me nothing! All you ever did was take things from me: my freedom, my happiness, and the only man I ever loved."

"Oh, don't tell me you're still mourning over that stable boy." She spit those last two words out like they were disgusting to her.

The disrespect her mother showed for her true love's memory made Regina furious. "His name is Daniel, and I will NEVER forgive what you did!"

Lillian could feel the tension rising, she grew more anxious helplessly watching things escalate. Cora was angry at her daughter's ingratitude. "I did what I did to protect you. To turn you into something great. I made you Queen!"

Here it was, the heart of the issue between them, Regina said what she had wanted to say to her mother for years, "You controlled me and manipulated me into becoming something I never wanted to be. You turned me into a monster, just like you!"

Cora's face hardened and she abandoned any hope she had of joining forces with her daughter. She hadn't forgotten the fact that Regina had banished her to Wonderland and then sent Hook to kill her. She had intended to take her revenge on her daughter when Hook took her to Regina's palace, but when she heard a grieving Regina confess that she loved her, her heart softened. Cora knew that Regina's curse would be broken, and she saw an opportunity to reunite with her daughter, who would be devastated and eagerly welcome her mother's help, when that happened. She had been waiting for this moment for 28 years, and now that it was here Regina wanted nothing to do with her.

_Fine_, Cora thought. _Then I'll get my revenge NOW!_

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Snow had spent the last ten minutes pacing around the vault. Finally she couldn't stand it any longer. She stopped in her tracks and quickly turned around to address the others, "I'm not waiting any more! We're going in there."

Emma stood up and crossed the room to where her mother stood. "I think you're right." She put her hand on Snow's shoulder. "I'll go ."

Snow shook her head quickly, "Absolutely not! She is my sister, I am going in there." She took a step toward the portal but Emma blocked her path.

"I don't think you going in there with a hot head to yell at Regina is going to accomplish anything. Let me handle this." Emma looked to her father for backup. He immediately stepped in and gently took his wife by the shoulders while standing behind her.

"Emma is right," he soothed. "She'll bring Lillian back in no time." Snow sighed and consented to wait on this side of the portal.

Emma turned to face Henry, "I'll check on your mom too, ok?"

Henry smiled and nodded, "Thanks." She returned his smile and tousled his hair playfully before she stepped into the portal.

Emma suddenly appeared in Fairytale Land. Having been through the portal before she was able to tuck and roll upon entry, avoiding any injury like what had happened to Lillian. She saw Cora and Regina facing off, and heard them arguing. It sounded like they were talking about Daniel, the man Regina had been in love with.

Regina appeared to be unharmed so she quickly scanned the room until she saw Lillian in the corner. Neither of the women had noticed Emma's arrival, the argument was obviously intensifying and Lillian peeked around the corner as much as she dared, anxiously watching her mother.

Emma knew it wouldn't be long before Cora spotted her so she had to act fast. She whispered Lillian's name as loudly as she dared, trying to get the girl's attention but she was completely focused on Regina and Cora. When that didn't work Emma picked up some small fragments of brick from a crumbled wall and tossed one in Lillian's direction. After repeating this a few times the girl finally looked over and saw Emma. Her eyes grew wide and she motioned for Emma to go back through the portal. Emma likewise motioned for Lillian to come with her, neither one conceded. As she knew would happen eventually, the arguing stopped and Emma heard Cora ask, "Who is that?" She had been discovered, it was now or never. She held out her hand to the girl and said, "Lillian, come back with me right now." Regina turned around and felt her heart sink as she realized her daughter would no longer be hidden from her mother.

Lillian shook her head and retreated farther into her corner, "No, I won't leave her!"

Emma started to tell Lillian to come again when Cora interrupted furiously, "You!" She recognized Emma from their encounters when she and Snow had been stuck in Fairytale Land. Emma looked at Cora and then back at Lillian trying to urge her to come back through the portal.

Cora held up her right hand, drew back her arm and hurled a fireball at Emma. Regina quickly raised her left hand and blocked her mother's spell by casting a shield charm. She looked back over her right shoulder and scowled at Emma before knocking her off her feet and back through the portal with a wave of her right hand. She did this to protect Emma, but it also gave her some satisfaction. _That's for letting Lillian out of your sights, Sheriff,_ she thought.

Emma came flying through the portal into Regina's vault and landed flat on her back. The force of her fall knocked the wind out of her and it was several seconds before she was able to draw a breath. Her parents and son hovered around her, clearly as surprised as she was to see her come back through the portal that way. They all spoke at once asking questions, "Emma are you alright?" "What happened?" "Where is Lillian?"

Emma drew another breath and rose slowly to her feet, with her father's help. "Regina knocked me back through." She coughed, still struggling to breathe normally. "Cora is there, they were arguing, but Regina is fine." Henry let out a small sigh of relief, his mother was alive. Snow didn't share his relief yet, "What about Lillian? Is she alright?"

"Yes, she is. But she wouldn't come with me."

Snow's face showed her concern at receiving this news. How could they get her back if she didn't want to come?

Charming was clearly thinking the same thing and wanted to figure out a plan,"Well, what are we going to do?"

Emma shook her head, "I don't know."

They all sat in silence, trying to think of something. Snow looked up at her husband and daughter, there was only one person who could help them, "Rumplestiltskin."

Charming shook his head, "We already talked to him, he's not interested in helping Regina."

Snow wasn't willing to give up on the idea. "But this isn't just about Regina anymore, it's about Lillian too."

"Why would that make any difference to him?" Emma wasn't so sure they should even tell Gold about Lillian, after all Regina had warned about keeping it from him.

"Then I'll make a deal with him." Snow had done this very thing several times, she knew Rumplestiltskin might change his mind for the right price.

"You're willing to do that?" Emma asked.

Snow looked her daughter in the eyes and responded confidently, "For my sister? Yes, I am."

Even though Emma had witnessed her mother's selfless nature first hand and heard the stories of similar accounts in Fairytale Land she still marveled at her willingness to do whatever it took to help the people she loved. And even more amazing was the fact that Snow had only know Lillan for a few hours and yet she loved her enough to make a deal with Gold to help her. She felt incredibly proud to be the daughter of such a woman.

There was no argument. Each of them knew Snow was right, Rumplestiltskin was their only hope.

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The bell on the door to Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop tinkled lightly as the group hurried inside. Mr. Gold stood behind one of the shop's many display cases examining an old trinket. He casually looked up from his work as though he had been expecting them, breathless and anxious as they were.

"The whole Charming clan," he mused in his playful trill. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Emma cut right to the chase, "We need your help with Cora."

"Ah, you need a referee for the Mills family reunion. Like I said before, not interested." Gold resumed his work, ignoring their continued presence in his shop.

Snow took over, "I know you don't care about helping Regina but she's not the only one in danger. My sister is there too."

Gold froze. He let Snow's last comment linger in the air for a moment before repeating it, asking for more information. "Your sister?"

"Yes, Regina has a daughter." Snow moved closer to him, detecting his interest. "She went through the portal to be with her mother and she won't come back without her."

Gold picked up a cloth and began polishing the object in his hand. The gears in his head were spinning quickly, putting together the big picture from what Snow had just told him. He couldn't help but be intrigued by this girl's interesting lineage: the daughter of Regina and King Leopold, sister to Snow White. The potential for untapped power was immense; perhaps power he could find a way to exploit, should he decide to help save her. Plus he always enjoyed having Regina in his debt, which of course she would be, if he intervened.

"Please, you have to help us." The desperation in Snow's voice convinced him he could secure the oportunity to at least investigate this potential asset.

He was careful not to appear too eager. "As interesting as this information is, I'm just not sure it's worth my trouble."

Snow was ready. "I'll make a deal with you."

"What exactly did you have in mind, your Highness?"

"Name your price." Just what he wanted to hear.

"Tell me her name," he said quietly.

They had been here before, Rumplestiltskin and Snow, but back then the name in question was Emma's. Snow knew that once he knew your name Rumplestiltskin could have power over you. She hesitated, but ultimately decided there was no other way to help her sister. "It's Lillian," she replied.

"Lillian. What a lovely name." Rumplestiltskin paused for a moment, as if he were still making up his mind. "Very well then," he responded lightly, "show me to the portal."

He started walking toward the door when Emma spoke up, "Hang on a sec. Why is knowing about Lillian enough to change your mind?"

Just as Regina had been, Gold was surprised at Emma's perceptive nature. He turned to face her and responded with a playful jab at Charming and Snow, "Let's just say...I'm invested in her future."


	13. Chapter 13: The Battle

Chapter 13: The Battle

Regina slowly lowered her hands and turned to face Cora again. In the past 30 seconds she had called her mother a monster and had used magic to defy her; there was going to be hell to pay. Regina instinctively positioned herself so that she was between her mother and her daughter. She was trying desperately to come up with a plan to get Lillian into the portal safely.

To her surprise, Cora didn't fly into a rage. Instead she remained perfectly still, staring at Regina while pondering everything she had just seen and heard. Cora had heard Emma call out to Lillian, and she had heard Lillian refuse to leave Regina. This seemed like a strange thing for the girl to say, unless her connection to Regina went deep. She had only caught a glimpse of Lillian, but between what she had seen and the way Regina was now protecting her, she had seen enough to suspect that their connection was very deep indeed.

Cora slowly started moving to the left, trying to position herself so she could get a closer look at the girl. This made Regina uneasy. As Cora moved to see Lillian better she was also getting closer to the portal, and therefore, Henry. She looked over her shoulder at Lillian, who was nervously watching her grandmother; she looked like prey being stalked by a wolf.

Cora stopped and peered around Regina. Satisfied with what she saw, she spoke, "You've been hiding something Regina. It seems I have a grandson AND a granddaughter." When Regina didn't respond, Cora knew she was right. She went on, "My, she does look like her sister, doesn't she? That must hurt you." Regina clenched her hands into fists and took a deep breath. Cora smirked, she knew she had struck a nerve. She turned her attention to Lillian, and the girl retreated back into the corner. "Oh, there's no need to be frightened dear, I'm your grandmother!"

"Don't talk to her!" Regina snapped.

"Oh, so protective," Cora said mockingly. She continued more seriously, "I'm surprised at you Regina. Being a mother yourself, I would have thought you could understand why I've done all the things you resent me for." Once again Cora slipped back into the sickly sweet tone she used so often. "Children need to be guided, they can't be trusted to find their way on their own. You have to show them what they want and do whatever it takes to keep them on the path that leads to it. You have to think for them. That's what mothers do, because they know what's best for their children."

Regina looked her mother in the eyes as she spoke, "You're wrong. I've made mistakes as a mother, but I've learned that what makes a mother's love special is that it's all about sacrifice." Cora rolled her eyes, she was not interested in being lectured by her daughter. Regina continued, "A real mother puts her child's well being above her own. You never did that for me. You treated me like a puppet you could control to get what you wanted. That's not sacrifice or love, that's selfishness!" Cora's face was angry and hard, her mouth a tight line. Regina went on, "Mothers protect their children, even with their own lives. That's TRUE love."

Lillian smiled, she knew in that moment that her mother had truly changed. She was doing for Lillian exactly what she was explaining to Cora. She knew that Regina really did love her.

Cora's eyes burned with anger, and thunder rumbled outside. She lifted her chin and spoke with complete contempt, "How many times have I told you Regina...love is WEAKNESS!"

In one quick move Cora lifted her hand and conjured a bolt of lightning. She thrust her hand forward and the lightning extended through the air heading toward Lillian. Regina raised her hand and intercepted the bolt before it could reach her daughter. The two women stood 20 feet apart but connected by the lightning, each struggling to win this strange tug of war.

Regina could feel that the energy of the bolt was starting to head back toward her mother, she was winning. With a slight smile she looked up at her mother and said defiantly, "It's not weakness, it's strength!" With all the power she could summon Regina pushed against the resistance from her mother and the energy of the bolt followed, knocking Cora backward, into the wall. She fell to the floor unconscious.

Regina turned around to face her daughter, she had to yell over the thunder that continued to crash outside, "Lillian, you've got to go through the portal now!"

Lillian ran to her mother, "What about you?"

Regina took her by the hand and looked into her eyes, "I'll be right behind you. I'm not going to lose you now." They quickly exchanged a smile. "Now go," Regina said. "I'll take care of Cora."

Lillian sprinted toward the portal, she was almost there when Cora sat up and with a flick of her wrist sent Lillian flying back toward the corner. Regina whipped around and hurled a fireball at her mother. Cora deflected it and stood up. She sent a fireball back at her daughter and quickly threw another one at the portal. Regina stopped the first one easily enough but barely caught the second one just before it went through the portal. Cora had a new strategy: to divide Regina's attention between the portal and Lillian, keeping her on the defensive with hardly any time to send anything back at Cora. Regina was in trouble.

Cora sent two more fireballs, one at each target, which Regina managed to stop. She raised her hand to launch another round when suddenly someone came through the portal. It was a man in a black suit with a cane. It took her a moment to realize who this man was: her old teacher, turned foe, Rumplestiltskin.

Regina drew a quick breath when she saw Rumplestiltskin come through the portal; she wasn't sure which side he had come to fight for. She quickly looked over her shoulder to make sure Lillian was alright and positioned herself so that she could deflect an attack from either her mother or Rumple.

Rumple met Regina's eyes briefly and then turned his attention to her mother. Cora looked him up and down and then said, with air of approval, "My my, Rumplestiltskin! I must say, I like the new look. It's a bit understated, for you, but I like it."

Rumple mimicked her tone, "And you're looking well, Cora dear, especially since you're supposed to be dead."

"Oh, well you know, it didn't agree with me," she said casually.

Rumple chuckled slightly at her comment, as if they were sharing a private joke. Regina kept looking from one to the other, trying to figure out what was happening.

"So, dearie," Rumple said taking a few steps closer to Cora, "I hear you'd like to come to Storybrooke. What have you got planned for your visit?"

Lillian was puzzled by the conversational tone they were both using, it made the whole scenario seem even more surreal, if that were possible.

"Well," Cora replied, taking a few steps closer to Rumple, "I had hoped to spend some time with my grandson, but I seem to be having a little trouble getting there." She glanced over at Regina.

"Is that right?" Rumple sounded sympathetic.

"Yes," Cora replied.

"Well," Rumple continued, turning to look at Regina, and then taking a few steps toward her, "that's not very hospitable of you, Madam Mayor." Cora chuckled, but Rumple's face showed little emotion. Regina searched his eyes, looking for some sign of his intentions. She knew she had no reason to hope he was there to help her, afterall, she had locked Belle away for 28 years. She wouldn't blame him if he left her to her fate, but Lillian...

Regina continued to look into his eyes, now pleading for his help. As quietly as she could she whispered, "Please." Rumple didn't move, he didn't blink. Then, almost imperceptibly, he nodded once and then turned to look at Cora. Regina's heart skipped a beat. Had he just told her he was on her side? She held her breath and waited to see what he had planned.

"Well, that's the trouble with people from Storybrooke," he mused, walking back toward the portal, "we don't really care for outsiders." He turned to face Cora, quickly pulled a fairy wand out of his suitcoat and pointed it at her.

The small flicker of hope that had come to life in Regina when Rumple nodded burst into full flame. They were going to win, she knew it, and for the briefest of moments it looked as though Cora knew it too. Fear flashed across her face but she quickly covered it with amusement. "Well, at least now it will be a fair fight." She glared at Regina, calling her on.

Rumple fired the first shot, levitating a fallen beam and hurling it at Cora. She fended it off, but not without some difficulty. He turned to Regina, "I'll cover the portal, you take care of your girl."

Regina nodded and together they used Cora's own strategy against her. Now it was she who was on the defensive, her attention split between them as they threw curse after curse at her.

Cora deflected the barrage of curses being sent at her surprisingly well, but she was beginning to grow tired. Out of desperation she dissolved into a cloud of smoke and reappeared behind a stone column farther away from the portal. Regina and Rumple advanced on her sensing her growing weakness.

Cora knew if she was going to win she would have to get creative. She peered around the column and one by one shattered each of the remaining windows in the great hall. Then she gathered together all of the broken glass into a deadly cloud and sent it straight for Rumple. He used a firewall to turn the shards into sand.

While he was occupied with that Cora took the opportunity to attack her daughter. A chandelier hung from the ceiling not far from where Lillian hid. Cora threw a curse at the chain that held it in place, severing it and sending the chandelier swinging directly at her granddaughter. Lillian screamed and dove to the floor but Regina turned around and stopped it before it got to her. As she turned her attention back to her mother Regina saw that she had already sent another curse her way. She dove to the right as quickly as she could but the curse grazed her left calf as it went past her. It left a gash on her leg but no other effects manifested.

Rumple, no longer distracted by the glass Cora had sent at him, called out to Regina, alerting her to back him up. He spotted a table along the far wall, not too far from where Cora hid. He levitated the table and sent it flying right into Cora. She was knocked to the ground and out into the open. Regina was ready and threw a curse which hit her mother in the chest as she tried to stand up. The curse imobilized Cora and she slowly began to turn to stone, starting at her feet and going up.

Regina felt a mixture of emotions as she watched what was happening to her mother and realized that they had won. She felt relieved that it was over and happy that no one else had gotten hurt, but she also felt sad that things couldn't have been different with her mother.

As the curse worked it's way up Cora's body, nearly completed, Cora looked to her daughter and called out her name, one last time, "Regina!" Then her face, the last piece untouched by the curse, turned to stone.

Regina stood silently for a moment and stared at the perfect statue that was her mother. A single tear formed and rolled down her cheek. She held up her hand and whispered, "Goodbye, mother." A wave of energy flowed from her hand to the statue which shattered into thousands of pieces. Regina closed her eyes as the dust settled, it was over.

She opened her eyes when she heard her daughter's voice, "You did it!" Lillian ran to where her mother stood and Rumplestiltskin quietly went through the portal to fetch the others.

"Lillian!" Regina turned and swept her daughter into a hug. She pulled away to check if she was injured, "Are you ok? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine," Lillian replied, grinning broadly as Regina held her face in her hands. "What about you?" Her voice became serious and gentle. "I'm sure that was hard for you."

Regina understood that Lillian was talking about her defeating her mother. She looked down and said softly, "It had to be done. Now she can't hurt anyone."

Lillian nodded sympathetically. "Before Mr. Gold came I wasn't sure what-"

Regina suddenly cried out in pain, interrupting Lillian.

"What's wrong?" Fear filled Lillian's voice.

"My leg." Regina held her hand to the gash she had received in the fight. Her whole left calf felt as though it was on fire.

Lillian bent down to see her mother's injury, "You got cut pretty bad! Come on let's get you to the hospital." She placed Regina's right arm over her shoulders to support her weight and help her get to the portal.

"No, it's a curse," Regina explained while the burning moved up her leg all the way to her hip. "It's spreading!" She cried out in pain again and leaned on Lillian, needing the support to remain standing.

"What do we do?" If they couldn't go to the hospital Lillian would find another way.

"Gold," Regina whimpered. "He might be able to stop it." The pain continued to intensify as it climbed up her body.

Just then Snow and Charming came through the portal.

"Lillian," Snow called out happily as she ran over to her sister. Lillian turned around and Snow saw the horror on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Snow, we need Mr. Gold. do you know where he is?"

Without waiting for an explanation David turned and went back through the portal to find him. Snow assured Lillian, "He's just in the vault. He'll be here soon." She moved closer and saw Regina writhing in pain. Lillian was struggling to support her weight so Snow moved quickly to take Regina's left arm and together they lowered her slowly to the floor. Snow took off the sweater she was wearing and folded it up as a cushion for Regina's head. They carefully laid her down. "What happened? Gold told us you were both fine."

Lillian was panicked, she tried to explain the best she could, "She was fine. She had a cut on her leg, and at first it just hurt but it was from a curse." Regina cried out again and grabbed Lillian's hand. The burning had now become a crushing weight, Regina was sure her bones were breaking. Lillian felt so helpless watching her mother suffer. "And now it's just spreading so quickly."

Snow felt helpless too. She wanted to tell her sister that Regina would be ok, but she didn't know if she would. She put her hand on Lillian's shoulder, trying to comfort her as best she could. Regina began struggling for breath, as if her throat was closing off. Her eyes were wide with fright and she tightened her grip on her daughter's hand. She was getting worse by the second.

Rumplestiltskin came through the portal and hurried to Regina's side. Snow stood up and made room for him. "What happened" he asked Lillian while observing Regina's overall condition.

"She had a cut on her left leg, it started hurting...she said it was a curse and to get you."

Charming, Emma and Henry joined the others in the great hall. Henry's face was full of worry, and Emma kept her arms around his shoulders trying to comfort him as they waited to hear if Gold could help his mother. Charming joined Snow who stood behind her sister.

Rumplestiltskin inspected the wound on Regina's leg. His eyebrows knit together, it didn't look good. "It's a suffocation curse. It's as if someone is literally squeezing the breath out of her. It only grazed her leg, that's why it took so long for it to spread. If I could have caught it earlier...but now I'm afraid there's no stopping it."

With his words a weight of sadness fell on everyone. Snow put her hand on Lillian's shoulder. Charming put his arm around his wife who leaned into him and began to cry. Emma tightened her grip on Henry who started crying too. Lillian shook her head in disbelief. _No, _she thought. _I just found her, I can't lose her now! _

"There's really nothing you can do?" Emma asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, I truly am. This is beyond my ability to heal." Rumple looked down at Regina, his old adversary, and his old friend. He truly was sorry to see her go.

Lillian felt Regina's grip tighten on her hand again as she continued to struggle for breath. She stared into her mother's eyes, trying to will the breaths to come easier. "Stay with me," she whispered loud enough for only Regina and Rumple to hear.

Henry came and knelt down by his mom, across from Lillian. He had tears rolling down his cheeks as he gently took Regina's other hand. She squeezed his hand and he looked into eyes. Tears spilled down her temples and fell into her raven hair. She finally had what she wanted, both of her children, and now she was going to lose them forever...she could never have her happy ending.

Snow watched Lillian and Henry mourn by their mother's side when an idea suddenly struck her. She could have kicked herself, and the rest of them, for not thinking of it sooner, _I mean it is becoming sort of a family thing, _she thought. "True Love's Kiss."

They all turned to look at her. "True Love's Kiss," she said with more enthusiasm. "Every curse can be broken, and it has worked for David, me and Emma, why not now?"

They all looked to Rumple for confirmation. "I suppose it could work," he said tentatively.

Lillian was ecstatic, finally a way to save her! "Yes, Henry, give it a try!"

"Henry can't do it, actually" Rumple informed them. They all looked confused, surely Henry loved Regina enough to save her. Rumple understood what they were thinking so he elaborated, "He loves her, there's no question about that, but he's not the one that can break this curse. It has to be Lillian."

Lillian didn't understand, "Why me?"

"A curse can only be broken by True Love's Kiss if the kiss is given by the one for whom the sacrifice was made," he explained. "She was cursed protecting YOU. Only you can save your mother, Lillian."

This was heavy. Lillian felt the pressure of the situation, like an elephant sitting on her chest. She was the only one who could save her mother, with True Love's Kiss?! Could she do it?

Lillian looked into Regina's eyes and searched her feelings: _Do I LOVE her? I know I feel something for her, but is it love? ...Why did I come here? ...Because she told me in her letter that she loved me, and I wanted to see if it was true. I wanted to see her and know for myself that she loved me and that she had changed, and, if so, then I wanted to save her. And I know that she HAS changed. She risked her life to protect me. She does love me...so can I do this? Do I LOVE her back?_

Lillian closed her eyes and felt her heart burn in her chest, a warmth that filled her whole being. She knew her answer. She opened her eyes and leaned forward over Regina. She gently brushed the hair away from her mother's forehead and brought her lips close to her ear. "I do love you, mother,"she whispered. She closed her eyes again and softly kissed Regina's forehead.

A wave of light eminated from the spot where she kissed her mother and went out through the whole room. Lillian sat up and waited for Regina to take a full breath. She didn't have to wait long, Regina gasped and filled her lungs with much needed air. Everyone in the room had a huge smile. They were all happy to have Regina back, but none were happier than her two children.

Lillian had tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, her eyes were still locked with her mother's. Regina looked up at her daughter and was overwhelmed by the love she felt. "I love you too," she said between tears of her own, and wrapped her arms around Lillian. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear. When they pulled apart a few moments later Regina looked over at her son, Henry, and placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you son," she said softly. "I love you too mom," he replied and gave her a big hug and then helped her sit up. She was in heaven, both of her children by her side, what more could she ask for? She put an arm around each of them and hugged them together. It looked like she would get her happy ending after all.

Everyone took turns talking to Regina, and enjoyed the happy moment, sharing their version of what happened. Snow wanted desperately to talk to her sister. She waited for a few minutes, not wanting to pull her away from Regina too soon, and when the time was right she pulled her aside to chat.

The two sisters hugged. Snow practically gushed with happiness, "Oh, I'm so glad you're ok." They pulled apart, "You're ok, right? No injuries, no curses?"

Lillian smiled at her big sister, "Yes, I'm fine." She looked over at her mother, "She protected me." She took Snow by the hands and looked her in the eye as she spoke again, "You were right. The old Regina was in there."

Snow smiled and replied happily, "And she's back."

Lillian nodded, "Thank you, for giving her the chance."

Snow wrapped Lillian into another hug. As she pulled away her face became serious. "Lillian, there's something I need to tell you. Something I need to warn you about."

Lillian noticed the change in Snow's demeanor and took it seriously. "What is it?"

"To get Mr. Gold to come help Regina I had to make a deal with him."

Lillian was following, "What deal?"

Snow took a breath before continuing, "He wanted to know your name."

That didn't make any sense to Lillian. "That's strange, why did he want to know that?"

"Actually it's not so strange," Snow explained. "If Rumplestiltskin knows your name," she hesitated a bit, not wanting to frighten her sister, "then he can have some power over you."

Lillian considered this. She looked over at Mr. Gold who was talking with Henry. He looked up and their eyes met, he gave her a smile that seemed to say, "We'll be seeing more of each other someday." She nodded to him, acknowledging that she understood, and then moved her focus to her mother. She watched her smile and laugh as she talked to Emma and Charming, and Lillian thought there was nothing more beautiful than seeing her happy. Regina noticed her daughter watching and smiled at her. Lillian returned the smile and then turned to face Snow again. "It's ok," she said kindly. "If you hadn't brought him here then this all would have turned out very differently. We needed his help and I'm so grateful you convinced him to come."

Snow was relieved to hear her say that, but she wanted to make sure Lillian was aware of the risk associated with what happened. "I don't know exactly how it works, how his knowing your name gives him power, or what he might want with you-"

"But I'm not alone," Lillian finished her sentence. Snow smiled, and Lillian continued, "I know. I've got you to watch out for me, and my mother will be there to protect me."

Snow took her by the hand, "Always."

Things were winding down. Lillian returned to her place at Regina's side, her mom gave her a quick hug. Emma looked around at everyone and said, "Well, it certainly has been a long day, but we made it through," she looked at Regina and continued, "we ALL made it through." Everyone turned to Regina and cheered and applauded lightly, showing their gladness that she had been saved. Regina smiled and nodded graciously. Emma went on, "Now, what do you say we all go home?" Everyone cheered again and headed toward the portal.

Rumplestiltskin hung back and let the others go ahead of him. Regina noticed and took her arms off of Henry and Lillian's shoulders. They turned to see what was going on, she explained, "I just want to have a quick word with Mr. Gold. You go on ahead." With a smile they kept moving toward the portal while Regina walked back to talk to Rumple.

He smiled at her as she approached him, which she returned before she spoke, "Thank you Rumplestiltskin. I can only imagine what would have happened if you hadn't come."

Rumple looked down for a moment before he spoke, "I didn't do much. I was just a distraction really. You had what it took to defeat Cora all along." Regina didn't understand what he meant so he explained, "Lillian. You kept a peice of your heart alive by giving it to her when you gave her up. And even though you lost the rest of it when you cast the dark curse, that one peice survived. When she came here to save you she gave that peice of your heart back to you, and that true love gave you power over your mother. Because you had true love in your heart and she didn't. And that's why Lillian was able to save you."

Regina nodded, she understood. She turned to head through the portal when Rumple spoke again, "She reminds me of you, you know. When you were younger." Regina turned to face him, he continued, "So powerful...she could do so much, if she had someone to show her the way." He smiled his crocodile smile at Regina, knowing he had rattled her. Oh, yes he was very interested in Lillian's potential. Afterall, that was why he came here in the first place, to test it out. Now that he had seen what she was capable of he would definitely be keeping a close eye on her.

"You get some good rest, dearie," he said to Regina as he walked past her to the portal, and shot her one last grin before going through.


	14. Chapter 14: The Other Mother

**Thank you for reading! This story is almost complete, but I need your help to finish it. PLEASE review and let me know how you would like to see the story end, and what you think of this chapter. What loose ends do I need to tie up? What do you still want to see for these characters? Do some things still need explaining? Thanks for your feedback :) Long Live Regina!**

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Chapter 14: The Other Mother

Regina stood in front of the portal, unable to move; she was too stunned. Rumplestiltskin had just told her that he intended to take Lillian on as his new protégé. She couldn't let this happen. She knew that Rumple had been suspicious that Lillian was her daughter and that once he found out the truth he would want to see if she possessed untapped power; that is why she had tried so hard to throw him off the trail. Regina understood, better than just about anyone, the way Rumple sought out young people with potential who he could train, manipulate and corrupt into pawns he could use for his own purposes. She had been one herself, and she would not let that happen to her daughter.

The others were waiting for her in Storybrooke. She took a moment to steady herself, not wanting to worry everyone else with this new problem just yet, and stepped through the portal. The first thing she saw when she appeared in the vault was two smiling faces, her children Henry and Lillian were waiting for her. They both came over to her and took their places at her side. Regina put an arm around each of them and pulled them close to her. She still couldn't believe this was real, both of her children together and happy to be with her, it was everything she had wanted for so long.

Snow and Charming stood closest to the stairs; they were ready to go home after such a long day. "Well," Snow said with a smile to Emma, "you ready to go home?"

Emma was ready, but she could see that Henry wasn't. She didn't know how to tell him it was time to go when he so obviously was enjoying being with Regina, this parenting thing was still new to her. She awkwardly walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "You ready kid?"

Henry looked up at her while still holding onto his mom. He knew Emma wanted him to come home with her, but he didn't want to let go. He had been living with his birth mom since she had returned to Storybrooke from the Enchanted Forest because they had been unsure about trusting Regina, but now that she had proven she had changed their living arrangement would have to as well. He wasn't sure how to express this without hurting Emma's feelings or making her angry, "Um… I'm not really sure where to go." Emma was a little surprised by this and didn't respond right away.

Lillian had been feeling the same thing as Henry. She wasn't sure where she should go either: back to her house with Marie or maybe with her mother? "Me too," she said, turning to face Regina. "After everything we've been through today I would feel weird just going back to my house."

Henry was relieved that Lillian was feeling the same thing, "Yeah, it feels weird."

Emma didn't know what to say. Of course she understood that Henry was happy to have his mom back, but ever since she came back from the Enchanted Forest she had become very protective of her son. Part of her still couldn't stand to have him out of her sight. "Oh," she started, "well…"

Regina knew that Emma was struggling to let Henry go, which she completely understood, so she decided to jump in. She put a hand on each of her children's shoulders and bent down to look them in the eyes, "It's alright, we'll figure out how we can spend lots of time together. You are both welcome to come with me anytime you want." She smiled warmly at them, trying to be happy despite the fact that the thought of being separated, even for the night, made her heart ache.

Emma listened to Regina and was impressed by her selflessness. This new Regina was going to take some getting used to. She suddenly felt very selfish and guilty for not having been willing to let Henry go, even for one night. "You know what," she said putting her hand on her son's shoulder again, "why don't you guys go with your mom tonight."

Henry looked at Emma with a huge grin, "Really?!"

Emma returned the smile; she could see that this is what he really wanted, "Yeah. You guys deserve some time alone, just the three of you."

Henry and Lillian both laughed happily and hugged Regina tighter, almost knocking her over. She laughed and returned their hugs. She could not have been happier. Looking up at Emma she said sincerely, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Emma replied with a smile.

Lillian pulled back a little. "Well, then I guess I'd better grab some stuff from my house, and tell Marie." Marie. She hadn't thought about her adopted mother. She suddenly felt nervous about seeing her. "What am I going to say to her?"

"I'll go with you," Regina offered, easing Lillian's nerves.

"We should probably swing by the loft and grab some of your stuff too, kid. I can drop him off at your house in half an hour or so," she said to Regina.

Regina nodded and the group headed up to the surface.

* * *

Lillian and Regina had a nice walk to Marie's house. They didn't say much, instead they just enjoyed being together as they walked arm in arm the short distance to the little yellow house. When they arrived Lillian stopped at the little path that led to the front door. She looked up at the house and thought about the drastic way her life had changed that day. She still couldn't believe everything that had happened and that she was standing here with her real mother, Regina, the former Evil Queen. She meant what she had said in the vault: the idea of going back home, back to her life before today, felt strange. Actually, it felt impossible. She loved her adopted mother, and always would, but now she had the chance to be with Regina and she didn't want to be separated from her again.

Regina lovingly placed her hand on her daughter's back, "It'll be alright. I'll lift the enchantment and she'll remember who I am. Everything will be fine."

Lillian turned to look at her mother, "It's not that." She paused for a moment, unsure how to express what she was feeling. "What happens after tonight? How do we go on with our lives? Now that we've found each other, what do we do?"

Regina had been asking herself the same questions since Lillian had saved her from Cora's curse. She knew what she wanted, to finally be with her daughter, to be a family. But she wasn't sure that was what Lillian wanted, and she wouldn't force her to do anything. "What is it that you want," she asked gently.

Lillian looked into her mother's eyes; she could feel the burning in her chest, just like she had before she broke the cure that nearly killed Regina. She answered with a smile, "To be with you."

Regina grinned and kissed Lillian on the forehead. "Then we'll be together." Lillian smiled back and hugged her mother tightly. After a moment Regina pulled away, "Come on," she said nodding toward the house, "let's go in." Lillian nodded in agreement and together they walked up the path to the door.

It was late but the house was not dark. Marie was sitting at the kitchen table drinking another cup of tea. She had been waiting for hours for Lillian to come home or call, but had heard nothing since she left that afternoon with Sheriff Swan. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard someone put a key in the door and turn the lock. She hurried to the front room to meet Lillian at the door. "Lillian," she began firmly as the door opened, "I was worried sick! Where have you been?"

Lillian looked up at her sheepishly, "I'm sorry. It took longer with the Sheriff than I thought it would."

"That's no excuse," Marie scolded. "You should have called at least."

"I'm afraid it's my fault," a woman's voice spoke from behind Lillian. Marie startled a bit, not having been aware anyone was there. She thought it could have been Emma, but it didn't sound like her. She opened to door wider and moved to see who had brought her daughter home. She gasped when she saw Regina standing there. "The Queen," she said quietly. Panic started taking over as she tried to figure out why the Evil Queen was at her door with Lillian. She slowly started backing up into the house, thinking she would try to get to the phone and call for help. Lillian and Regina came into the house and closed the door behind them.

Lillian held out her hand as she spoke, trying to calm Marie, "It's ok. You don't need to be afraid. She's not going to hurt us."

Marie stopped backing up and looked from Lillian to Regina trying to decide if it were true. Regina smiled, trying to assure her and said warmly, "Hello Marie."

Marie suddenly became very defensive and she took a step closer to the Queen, "What do you want with my daughter?" Her fierce defense of Lillian oddly made Regina feel happy. She liked that Marie loved her daughter and was willing to stand up to her to protect her.

"Mom," Lillian said calmly trying to diffuse the situation a bit, "it's alright. You don't remember, but she is my real mother."

"What are you talking about?! Your mother died giving birth to you." Marie shook her head; obviously Lillian had been enchanted to believe this witch's lies.

Regina stepped forward and held up her right hand. "It's alright Marie. You'll remember in a moment." She waved her hand and black smoke flowed from Marie to Regina as the enchantment was lifted and the false memory was removed.

Marie blinked a few times and shook her head as the true memory of Lillian's birth came back to her. She looked up at Regina and smiled, "Your Majesty!" She bowed her head in respect.

Regina grinned and took Marie by the hand, happy to receive her old friend's kind affection again. "Please, call me Regina."

Marie raised her head and nodded, "Regina. It's so good to see you." The middle aged woman pulled her into a warm hug and the two laughed at the joy of seeing each other again. They pulled apart and Marie looked at Lillian tenderly, "Oh child," she cupped the girl's cheek in her hand. "Your mother has found you!"

Lillian smiled and let Marie pull her into a hug as well. "Yes, she has."

The three women went into the kitchen and Marie put a fresh pot of water on the stove to boil. They all sat down at the table drinking tea as Lillian and Regina filled Marie in on what had happened earlier. Marie was amazed and so happy that everything had worked out. She looked at Regina, "I always knew you would change," she said warmly.

Regina smiled, "How?"

Marie looked into her eyes, "I knew how much you loved Lillian. A mother's love is a powerful thing; it can bring you back from the darkest abyss."

Regina nodded and looked lovingly at her daughter, "It did." Lillian returned her look with a warm smile and then excused herself for a moment. After Lillian left the room Regina spoke again, "Thank you for teaching me about what it means to be a mother. And thank you for taking such good care of her. She is wonderful; I never could have done such a great job raising her."

"That's not true," Marie said kindly. "Henry is a lovely boy and you raised him."

Regina scoffed, "I think that is despite the fact that I raised him, not because of it."

"No mother is perfect," Marie said gently. Regina nodded slightly. Marie could see that she was feeling guilty. "Lillian adores you, you know? I can see it."

That made Regina happy, "And I adore her. I just have to figure out how I am going to fit into her life," Regina said thoughtfully.

Marie put her hand on Regina's and said, "You're going to be her mother."

Regina's eyes filled with tears; would Marie really give her that chance? "Are you sure," she asked sincerely.

"Of course dear," Marie replied with a chuckle. "I love Lillian so very much. She has brought such joy to me and soothed my broken heart of the pain of losing my son. But she is your daughter, not mine. It's time for you to be together."

Happy tears spilled onto Regina's cheeks and she took Marie's other hand, "Thank you, my friend."

Marie's eyes were also filled with tears as she replied, "It was my pleasure, Regina."


	15. Chapter 15: The Mills Family

Chapter 15: The Mills Family

Regina smiled as she placed the laundry basket full of Lillian's things into the trunk of her car. It wasn't everything, just the essentials to get her through the next couple of days until they came back for the rest and moved her in oficially. Regina closed the trunk and grinned at the thought. Her daughter was coming to live with her, and for tonight at least she would have both of her children. Lillian stood on the porch with Marie. The two held hands as they said their goodbyes.

Regina walked up the path and joined them. She smiled warmly at Lillian. Despite everything that had happened Regina felt afraid that Lillian might have changed her mind. She fought hard to keep that fear out of her voice.

"Ready?"

Lillian looked up at her adopted mother who smiled and nodded encouragingly, and then over at her biological mother. She took a moment to admire her, noticing the small scar above her top lip. She would have to remember to ask about that later. It still didn't seem real that she had finally met her mother, something she had dreamt of since she was a little girl. She had imagined the woman who had given birth to her many times, but the reality surpassed the fantasy in many ways. She had always imagined her mother to be beautiful, and Regina was certainly that, but a Queen and a powerful sorceress as well... Lillian never dreamed of such a fantastical lineage. And now they were together, never to be separated again. It had all happened so quickly... maybe too quickly she paused. But as she stood there and saw the love and happiness in Regina's face she knew it was right. It would be new and different and maybe challenging at times, but she was excited for the adventure. "Yes," she said softly. "I'm ready."

Regina exhaled slightly, relieved that Lillian still wanted to come with her. Marie hugged them both and waved them off with tears in her eyes. She couldn't help feeling emotional at the sight of them driving off to start a life together. She had loved Lillian as her own for many years, and with the return of the true memory of her birth, her motherly affection for Regina had returned as well.

Mother and daughter drove in silence the short distance to Regina's house. Their house. Emma's yellow bug was parked out front. They both felt butterflies in their stomachs as they pulled into the driveway. Not much intimidated Regina or made her feel unsure of herself, but this had her shaking with nerves. Lillian hopped out of the car and walked toward the front porch where Emma and Henry were waiting. Regina took a deep breath to calm herself before she got out of the car. She wasn't used to getting everything she wanted, and was surprised at how unprepared she felt for the reality of it. She retrieved Lillian's things from the trunk and joined the others on the porch.

Henry took the keys out of his mother's hand and unlocked the front door. They all went inside. Emma stood awkwardly in the foyer holding Henry's things, unsure where she should put them.

Regina noticed, "Henry," she nodded toward Emma indicating that he should take his things from her.

"Oh, sorry" he took the box and pillow from her and went to set them on the floor when Regina stopped him.

"Uh uh, in your room please." She smiled to show him she wasn't cross. Henry returned her smile sheepishly and ran upstairs to deposit his things in his room. Lillian stepped forward and took her laundry basket from her mother. " Thank you dear. You can just put that on the table for now, we'll get your room set up in a bit. "

Emma and Regina followed Lillian farther into the house. "So," Emma asked Lillian, "how did everything go with Marie?"

"It went fine." Lillian's smile showed that it had gone very well indeed.

Emma returned her smile, "Good. I'm glad." Henry came bounding down the stairs. "Well," Emma continued, addressing the group, " What do you say we meet tomorrow morning at Granny's for breakfast?"

"Actually," Regina replied quickly, " I was thinking of inviting you and your parents to join us here for breakfast. The kids and I could make us something special." Emma looked unsure, so Regina turned to Lillian and Henry, " What do you say guys? Does that sound like fun?"

The siblings responded with such enthusiasm that Emma didn't feel like she could insist they meet on neutral ground. "Alright," she agreed.

Lillian and Henry began discussing what they could make for their special breakfast. Regina took a step closer to Emma and spoke quietly, "And afterward there's something we all need to discuss."

Emma narrowed her eyes slightly, skeptical of Regina's intentions. "Ok... 9 o'clock?" Regina nodded and then walked back to stand between Henry and Lillian. " I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning, kid. Have fun tonight," Emma added as she pulled him into a hug. " Goodnight, aunt Lillian," she said with a wink.

Lillian laughed, "Goodnight."

Emma let herself out and as she closed the door behind her she heard Regina say happily, "I'm starving. Who wants some pasta?"

The children agreed and the Mills family went to the kitchen to fix a late supper, while Emma stood on the porch feeling anxious about the next morning.

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Emma opened the door to her apartment and was immediately greeted by her mother's warm smile. She stepped inside and threw her red leather jacket on a chair after she closed the door.

Snow was putting a kettle of water on the stove to boil. "How did everything go for Lillian? Was her mother upset?"

Emma trudged over to a barstool and plopped down. "She said it went fine."

"Good." Snow 's smile faded as she noticed her daughter's gloomy face. "You ok?"

" Yeah," Emma replied, not very convincingly. "It's just hard to let him go."

Snow put her hand on Emma's reassuringly, "He'll be fine."

Emma shook her head, "Its not that. Regina wants to have us over for breakfast tomorrow."

"Thats nice," Snow replied ccheerfully.

Emma rolled her eyes. "She said there is something we all need to discuss."

"Well, I guess that makes sense. A lot happened today."

"You don't think it's about custody of Henry?"

"Did she say something like that?"

Emma looked down, "No, she didn't say what it was about."

Snow considered this, "Then why are you worried about that?"

Emma looked up at her mother, "I'm just so tired of fighting with her over Henry! Ever since we came back from the Enchanted Forest I've had him all to myself. I guess I got used to it." Emma paused, fighting emotion that suddenly rose inside her. "I don't want to share him anymore."

Snow sensed the emotion Emma was trying to hide. She knew how deeply her daughter had come to love Henry, and how difficult it had been trying to share him with his other mother. " Let me ask you something," she began gently. "Why did you let him go with Regina tonight?"

Emma thought about the question. "Because I knew he wanted to."

Snow nodded slowly. "He wanted to be with her. He's happy to have her back. And you want him to be happy, right?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you're going to have to share him," Snow said sympathetically. When Emma didn't respond she continued, "And anyway, I don't think it will be like it was before."

"Why is that," Emma mumbled doubtfully.

"Tonight in the vault Regina wanted Henry to come with her but she didn't push. She let you make the decision. That's different." Emma shrugged. Snow went on, "And there's something else that is different now."

"What," Emma replied half-heartedly.

"Lillian." Emma looked up. "Now that she's in the picutre Henry is no longer the only person in Regina's life. I think she'll loosen her grip on him a bit."

Emma raised her eyebrows as she considered this. "I hadn't thought about that."

Snow smiled slightly, happy that Emma had cheered up a bit. "She just got back into Henry's life, it wouldn't make sense for her to start a fight with you now."

"I guess you're right. I was being paranoid."

"You were being a mother. Worrying is what we do."

They both laughed. "I guess we'll just have to find out what Regina wants tomorrow." Emma sounded tired.

"I guess so." The kettle on the stove began to whistle, Snow pulled it off the heat. "Want some hot chocolate before bed?"

Emma had to admit, sometimes it was really great to have your mom around, especially when she also happens to be your best friend. "Alright," she agreed, feeling a little better about everything.

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Henry, Regina and Lillian worked together stirring, chopping and measuring as they assembled a delicious dinner: angel hair pasta, garlic bread and a green salad. It was nice to have something familiar to do. Regina didn't know when she'd get another chance to have both of her children for the night so she felt a certain amount of pressure to make the evening special. She had to keep reminding herself to relax, enjoy it, and let things happen naturally. Cooking for her children felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Regina asked Henry to set the table. When dinner was ready she and Lillian brought the food out to the dining room and they all sat down to enjoy their meal. Lillian put some salad on her plate and then offered the bowl to Regina, "Would you like some salad mother?"

"Yes, thank you," Regina replied with a smile as she took the bowl from her daughter.

"Why do you call her 'mother'," Henry asked curiously as he nibbled on his garlic bread.

Lillian considered his question and responded playfully, "I guess that does sound a little old-fashioned, doesn't it?" Henry scrunched up his nose and nodded. "Well," Lillian continued, "I guess because that's what I would have called her, back in the Enchanted Forest." She looked at Regina who smiled softly, understanding what the girl meant. Lillian turned her attention back to Henry and went on, "So, I guess it just sounds right."

Henry nodded, satisfied with that answer, and went back to eating. Without saying anything Regina placed her hand on her daughter's which rested on the table. Lillian looked up at her mother again and squeezed her hand once.

After a few moments of silence Henry asked another question, this time it was directed at both of them. "Do you guys miss it?"

"Miss what," Regina asked.

" The Enchanted Forest, do you miss it?"

Regina thought about how to answer; she didn't miss her life there at all. She had been miserable, which is why she had cast the curse that brought them to Storybrooke. But there were pieces of the old world that she had loved. "I miss parts of it," she replied.

Lillian was quick to give her answer,"I do. I loved it there."

Henry's eyes widened, he was fascinated with the Enchanted Forest and was excited to hear more about it. "What was it like?"

Lillian sensed his eagerness to hear about their magical land. "It was so beautiful: giant trees, and mountains, meadows of wild flowers...And so many adventures and dangers."

"Dangers?!"

"Oh yeah. Ogres, trolls, dragons, sea monsters..."

As Regina sat listening to Lillian talk about their home an idea struck her, a soultion to the problem that had been bothering her since she had talked to Rumplestiltskin. For the next several minutes she tried to work out the details of her plan so she could discuss it with the Charmings in the morning.

After dinner they cleared the table and went upstairs to get cleaned up and settled in. Henry jumped in the shower first, so Regina and Lillian went to work getting a guest bedroom set up for her. Regina showered next, so Henry took the chance to show his sister his room. Then it was Lillian's turn. While she showered mother and son snuggled up on Regina's big fluffy bed. They talked about school and Henry showed Regina the book he had been reading, but mostly they just enjoyed being together.

Henry let his mother hold him like she had done when he was a little boy as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. After a little while the comforting motion soothed him to sleep. Regina rested her cheek on the top of his head. It has been months since she has been this close to her son, and it felt wonderful.

Lillian peeked through the partially open bedroom door and saw her mother and brother snuggling on the bed. Regina was wearing elegant white silk button up pajamas and Henry was in similar blue flannel ones. They looked so peaceful, she didn't want to disturb them. When she turned to leave she accidentally bumped the door, pushing it open slightly with a soft creak. Regina looked up and saw Lillian looking apologetic at having disturbed them. She smiled and held out her right hand, inviting her daugher to join them. Lillian agreed at once and climbed into the bed on Regina's right side and rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

The three of them stayed that way for several minutes, feeling completely content. Lillian hadn't forgotten about the question which had prompted her to go through the portal in the first place. Now that Henry was asleep, it felt like the right time to ask her mother, but she didn't want to wake him.

"You know what would make this day even more perfect?"

"What's that," Regina replied with a smile.

"Ice cream."

Regina laughed out loud, which made Lillian laugh too. It wasn't hard for Regina to see that Lillian wanted some time alone together and, despite the fact that she was exhausted, Regina wasn't ready to let the day be over.

"You don't have any, do you," Lillian asked playfully.

Regina responded playfully back, "As a matter of fact I do. And I have some apple pie to go with it."

"Oh, even better!"

The two of them slipped out of bed and went downstairs. Lillian got the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer while Regina cut two pieces of the apple pie she had made the day before. It was such a nice night out that they decided to have their dessert on the back patio. They sat on a white wicker bench with a black and white cushion near the apple tree.

Lillian took a bite of her pie and immediately recognized the sweet taste of a honey crisp apple. She smiled and turned to look at her mother, "These apples, they're from your tree, aren't they?"

Regina looked up at the tree proudly, "Yes, they are."

Lillian nodded, "They taste just like mine."

Regina turned her head quickly to look at Lillian who was looking at the tree now. She wondered how much her daughter knew about the connection between their trees and was about to ask when Lillian spoke again.

"I remember, you know. When you came to our farm and brought us the apple trees. When you gave me the sapling." Her eyes were very serious, almost sad, as she recalled their brief encounter many years ago.

Regina mirrored those emotions in her own eyes and put her arm around Lillian. "I didn't think you would remember that."

Lillian reached up and took Regina's hand that was on her shoulder. "I had forgotten about it, until I saw a picture in Henry's book. It was a picture of you by an apple tree that looked just like mine. When Henry told me that it was your tree and that it was here in Storybrooke I asked him to take me to see it. That's when I decided to go through the portal and see you." Regina squeezed her hand. Lillian continued, "I felt...connected to you somehow. I didn't expect to feel that."

Regina smiled and pulled Lillian into a little side hug. She let the silence between them linger for a moment. She was in awe once again, as she had been when Lillian came through the portal earlier that day. She was amazed at how easily Lillian could love; something that was so difficult for her. It had taken her 16 years to tell Lillian she loved her but it took Lillian only hours. She had meant it when she told Henry that she didn't know how to love very well. Regina felt humbled, an uncommon emotion for her, and she resolved to try to be more like her daughter.

"This tree and I are old friends," she said gently. "I had it brought to the palace when I married the King. It was a reminder of the life I wished to return to; a symbol of the love I had lost." She was quiet for a moment, a little emotional at the thought of Daniel. "Then when I decided to give you a sapling from it, it became a symbol of you. Every time I pruned the branches or picked apples I would imagine that you were out there doing the same thing for your tree. And for a moment I felt like we were connected."

Lillian was touched that their trees had connected them, just as her mother had intended them to. It was a beautiful gesture and she loved that Regina had thought of it, but the fact that something external was necessary to conect them only underlined the sad reality that Lillian had grown up without her mother. It also prompted questions: If Regina had wanted to feel connected to her so badly then why didn't she ever reach out to her? Why did she wait so long to tell her the truth? And most of all, why did she adopt a child when she aready had one?

Her eyes began to fill with tears. She needed answers. "Mother," she started without looking at Regina, "why did you..." Her voice trailed off. She lost her nerve, suddenly afraid that her question would offend her mother. "Nevermind," said quickly, turning her face away as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Why did I what," Regina said encouraging her to ask her question.

" It's nothing, forget it."

Regina could tell that Lillian was upset and that whatever she wanted to know was very important to her. "Lillian," she said softly as she placed her hand under the girl's chin and turned her face toward her. "It's alright. I owe you and explanation you want from me. Ask me... please."

As Lillian looked into her mother's eyes she was unable to stop the tears from flowing. With her voice full of heartache she finally said aloud the question that had been weighing on her mind since she learned Regina was her mother, "Why did you adopt Henry?"

Regina knew that Lillian would ask this question eventually. She understood why she needed to know the answer and why it upset her so much. She understood because it was one of the things Regina herself felt the most guilty about, and it pained her to see how much it hurt her daughter.

She took Lillian by the hands and tried to explain. "When I was pregnant with you my father warned me that someday I would come to regret my decision to give you up. I didn't believe him because I thought that I was doing what was best for you, and I still believe that. But he was right, I did come to regret it very much.

"When we came to Storybrooke I thought I would finally have my happy ending. And I was happy, for a few years, until I realized that I was alone. There was no one in this world or the old one who really cared about me. There was, however, someone who I cared about very much, but couldn't be with. You. You were right there in front of me, but I couldn't undo what I had done.

"For 18 years all I could do was watch you, and wish that things could have been different. Until finally I couldn't stand the loneliness anymore. I wanted the chance to be the mother I never got to be for you. So, I went to Mr. Gold and asked him to help me adopt a baby. He brought me Henry."

Lillian shook her head, trying to understand. "But why didn't you just talk to me? Why didn't you tell me the truth? We could have been together."

Regina hung her head, " I didn't think you would believe me."

Lillian was a little angry now. "But you didn't even try! You didn't give me the chance! You just went out and found another kid because it was easier."

Ouch. That hurt. It hurt Regina that Lillian felt that way, but it hurt even more that she was right. She had been a coward and had taken the easy way instead of doing the right thing. Tears of shame filled her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. She turned her face away and closed her eyes for a moment.

She turned to face Lillian again and looked her in the eye. "Lillian, even if you had believed me I thought you would hate me." Emotion rose into her throat and she paused, unable to speak. When she did speak again her voice quivered, "I hated myself! I knew I had been so selfish you would never be able to forgive me. I never dared to hope you might actually want to be with me!"

She paused to collect herself a bit. Lillian didn't know what to say, she was surprised by her mother's honesty. After a few seconds Regina spoke again, more calmly. " I know that what I did hurt you, and I have no excuse. I was selfish. I brought us all to Storybrooke because I wanted my happy ending. I didn't tell you the truth because I didn't want you to reject me, and because I was ashamed of what I had done. I adopted Henry because I was lonely and I wanted someone to care about me... Everything I've done has been for selfish reasons."

Lillian felt bad. Her mother was in tears; she hadn't wanted to upset her like that and she regretted being so harsh. She thought about what Regina had said about being lonely and ashamed and she realized that as much as this hurt her, it hurt her mother as well, maybe more so. Regina was truly sorry for the way she handled everything.

But what she said about doing everything for selfish reasons, Lillian knew that wasn't true. Regina thought it was, but in fact she had done several selfless things that had had a huge impact on Lillian's life and the lives of many others. Her anger and hurt were gone. She understood now why her mother adopted Henry, and honestly didn't blame her for making that choice. She had never known lonliness like Regina had experienced and couldn't imgine how awful that would feel.

Regina's head hung low and she continued to cry softly. Lillian gently reached out and took one of her mother's hands in her own, and Regina slowly raised her head to met her daughter's eyes. "Not everything," Lillian said plainly. "Keeping me would have been selfish, hiding out and letting other people put themselves in danger to face Cora would have been selfish...keeping your apple orchard at the palace and letting me starve would have been selfish. You were protecting me. You've always protected me."

Regina took Lillian's other hand, "And I always will."

Lillian nodded, " I know. I'm sorry mother." She threw herself into Regina's arms, hugging her tightly.

Regina hugged her back just as tightly. "No, you have nothing to be sorry about. You were right. I'm the one who's sorry."

They held on to each other for a few moments then pulled back, each wiping tears away. Lillian looked into her mother's eyes, "I'm sorry you were so lonely."

Regina smiled, "Well, I won't be lonely anymore." Lillian smiled back.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Regina spoke again. "Lillian, there's something else we need to talk about."

Lillian could tell by the tone of Regina's voice that whatever it was, it was something serious. " What is it?"

" When everyone went through the portal and I stayed behind to talk to Mr. Gold, he told me some things that concerned me."

" It was about me, wasn't it?"

Regina was taken back, "Yes, it was. How did you know that?"

"Snow told me that in order to convince him to come and help us she had to make a deal with him. His price was that he wanted to know my name. She said that that would give him some sort of power over me... What does that mean exactly?"

Regina hadn't been aware of this, and it further confirmed her suspicions about Rumple's intentions. "It connects you to him, ties your fates together, in a way."

" I don't understand. Why would he want that?"

"Rumplestiltskin likes to collect powerful people. Particularly those who don't yet know how to use their power. He trains them, mentors them, and then manipulates them into using their powers for his own purposes. It's what he did with me."

" Powers... You mean magic."

"Yes."

Lillian was beginning to understand. She pondered on what excatly Regina was saying, and then, as if someone turned a light bulb on, she understood.

"He thinks I will be able to use magic? How would he know?"

" When you can use magic you develope the ability to feel it around you. Even sense it in other people. That happens to be one of his specialties."

" What about you? Can you sense it...in me?" Lillian asked the question tentatively, as if she wasn't sure what she wanted the answer to be.

Regina replied carefully, " I'm not as sensitive to it as he is, but yes... I can feel magic in you." Lillian's eyebrows knitted together as she considered the implications of what her mother just told her. She looked worried so Regina wanted to comfort her, "Just because you have magic in you it doesn't mean you ever have to learn to use it, unless you want to. And you certainly don't have to learn it from him."

Lillian's face still seemed worried, " He doesn't seem like the kind of person who will just take no for an aswer."

" He's not."

Lillian's worry was evident in her voice, "Then what can I do?"

Regina was ready with her plan. "You have to go back to the Enchanted Forest."

"But... He can go there. He'll just follow me through the portal and come after me."

" He can, but I don't think he will. Not yet anyway."

" Why not?"

" He's looking for something here, in this world. It's the reason he wanted me to bring us all here."

" What is it? "

Regina shook her head, " I don't know, but whatever it is it's very important to him. I don't think he's going anywhere until he finds it. If we left soon that would give us a head start. There are lots of places we can hide from him there."

"We?" Lillian thought she must have heard wrong. " You're coming with me?"

Regina was surprised that Lillian thought she was suggesting she should go alone. " Of course. I told you, I will always protect you."

Lillian smiled. " And this is the best way to get away from him?"

" It's the only way."

" What about Henry? And snow? And..."

" That's why I invited them to come for breakfast tomorrow," Regina interrupted. " We'll tell them our plan and, I'm hoping, that they'll agree to come with us. All of them."

" I hope they'll come too."

Regina put her hand on Lillian's, " But even if they won't, you and I will still go."

Lillian nodded, grateful that her mother would agree to go with her. She thought for a minute about what it would be like to return to the Enchanted Forest, and what it would be like to learn to use magic. " I think I'd like to," she said, following her own train of thought.

Regina didn't follow, " What would you like to do, dear?"

"Learn to use magic." Regina looked surprised. "If that's alright," Lillian added.

"Of course, I think that would be wonderful."

" Could you teach me?"

Regina looked conflicted. " I think it might be best if we find someone else to be your teacher."

Lillian felt a little confused and disappointed. "Oh...ok. That's fine."

"It's not that I don't want to," Regina explained, "It's just that... magic is different for me than it will be for you, because of how I learned it and the way I used it."

Lillian was quick to her mother's defense, "But you've changed, you won't use it for bad anymore."

" I wouldn't want to." Regina struggled with how to say this right. "But ... Magic is almost like a drug for me. I just have to be really careful. Do you understand?"

Lillian nodded. She respected the fact that her mother was trying so hard. Regina put her arm around her daughter, "Come on, we'd better get to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow."

They went inside and put their dishes in the sink before they headed up the stairs. As Lillian turned to go into her room Regina grabbed her hand.

"Hey," Lillian turned back to look at her mother. "Welcome home."

They shared one last matching smile and then Lillian replied, "I'll see you in the morning, mother."

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**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know that in the show the apple tree is behind City Hall, but that always seemed so silly to me. Why wouldn't Regina keep it at her house? So, because it works better for my story, I moved it to their house. Please forgive me on that :) Please review and let me know what you think. Long live Regina!**


	16. Chapter 16: The Plan

Chapter 16: The Plan

Emma climbed into the driver's seat of her bug and slammed the door shut. Snow flinched at the sound and turned to look at her daughter. The blonde had been stomping and pouting around the apartment all morning and any inquiry about the reason for her less-than-chipper mood had been answered sharply. Snow looked in the rear-view mirror and caught her husband's eye; neither one dared to say anything.

Turning the key roughly and throwing the car into gear Emma headed to Regina's house. She was aware of the way she had been acting, but she couldn't help it. After what happened last night she was completely distracted. How was she going to tell her patents? They were going to freak out. The thought made her feel like a teenager again. At least it had taken her mind off of this breakfast and whatever Regina wanted to talk about. She felt angry that this happened now, when there was so much that needed to be figured out, and guilty because she knew how much her parents would worry.

They rode in silence to #108 Mifflin Street. They pulled up to the house and climbed out of the car. Emma slammed the door again and as they started up the walk she dropped her keys and cursed. Snow couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Emma, are you alright? What's going on? "

"I'm fine, alright. Let's just get this over with," Emma grumbled. Snow assumed she meant the breakfast, but she actually meant telling them her news. She didn't tell her parents the night before because she figured it would be easier to just tell everyone at once, but now she was really dreading it. Emma turned and continued up the walk to the front door leaving her confused and concerned parents staring after her.

The heavenly scent of apples simmering in a cinnamon-sugar sauce filled the house, making Henry's stomach growl in anticipation as he finished setting the last place at the table. The Mills family had spent the better part of the last hour fixing a fabulous breakfast for their guests who would be arriving soon. Having finished his task Henry joined his mother and sister in the kitchen to see if he could sneak a taste. Lillian watched again as Regina expertly ladeled batter into the pan and spread it quickly over the surface, forming another paper thin crepe.

"I can't get mine to look like that." After several attempts to copy her mother's technique Lillian had become frustrated and decided she'd better keep an eye on the filling and let Regina make the crepes.

"It takes a lot of practice. You sure you don't want to try again? "

Lillian sighed, "I'd better not. I don't want to mess it up. "

Her response made Regina smile, not because it was amusing, but because her daughter's stubborn desire for things to be perfect reminded her of herself. The more they got to know each other the more alike they seemed, which both surprised and delighted her. "Another time then."

"Smells good, " Henry announced as he came bounding into the room. As far as he was concerned, everything was pretty much prefect: his mom was one of the good guys now, he had a new sister, and his other mother was on her way over. He hadn't felt so good since Emma decided to stay in Storybrooke.

Regina flipped the crepe over and gave him a smile; she loved seeing him so happy. "Is the table all set?"

"Yep." He stuck his finger into the bowl of the already made strawberry filling and then licked his finger. Realizing what he had done, Henry looked up at his mother sheepishly, expecting her to scold him. To his surprise she gave him a conspiring smile and winked. She really had changed!

The doorbell rang making Henry's face light up and Regina's stomach twist with nerves at the same time.

"They're here, " he confirmed excitedly.

Regina removed the crepe from the pan, adding it to the pile of already cooked ones that sat on a plate, and turned off the burner. Lillian could tell by the way her posture stiffened that her mother was nervous.

"Henry, why don't you answer the door while we finish up in here. " Regina WAS nervous. This would be the first time in 28 years that Mary Margaret had ever set foot in the mayor's home, and the first time in many more than that that she had sat down to a meal with her step-daughter. Being civil with Snow was going to take some getting used to, but she was also nervous about how they would respond to her plan. She didn't want Lillian to be disappointed.

Lillian was likewise worried about Regina. She knew that this new dynamic was going to be an adjustment for everyone and the last thing she wanted was for her mother to be left out. She felt protective of her and determined not to let her be pushed to the edge of the group.

Henry turned with a smile and headed for the door while Lillian scooped the apple filling into a bowl and Regina removed her apron and wiped the counter down out of habbit. They took the food into the dining room and set it on the table as he opened the door.

Emma temporarily snapped out of her bad mood at the sight of her son. He launched himself into her arms and she felt the worry she had been dealing with all morning leave her mind as she hugged him tightly. That was what he always did for her; he was her rock in the crazy existence that was life in Storybrooke.

Snow and Charming stood behind their daughter enjoying the happy reunion she shared with their grandson. Emma stood up straight and Henry led her into the foyer. Snow hesitated, she was nervous too. It felt strange to be doing something as casual as Saturday morning breakfast with her step-mother, but she knew that this was a huge step toward repairing the damage that had been done between them. Charming squeezed her hand reassuringly and together they stepped into the foyer, closing the door behind them.

As soon as the two sisters saw each other their faces lit up with radiant smiles that extended all the way up to their matching eyes. Lillian hurried over and was swept into a hug by her big sister. Regina followed and nodded a greeting at Charming who reciprocated before joining Emma and Henry on the other side of the foyer. She stood behind her daughter watching and feeling terribly awkward. She was just about to return to the dining room when she felt someone take her by the hand. Regina turned and saw Lillian's hand entwined with her own, telling her to stay, including her and making her feel that she was loved. She realized in that moment how badly she had needed her daughter and that no matter how unfamiliar this new dynamic was it would be alright because, for once, there was someone who was looking out for her.

"Thank you for inviting us Regina, " Snow said politely. "You have a lovely home. "

"Thank you. I'm so glad you could come. " That hadn't been so bad, they had both been quite cordial. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to be civil after all.

Snow smiled and turned to Lillian, "So, what's for breakfast? It smells wonderful!"

"Crepes with apple-cinnamon and strawberry filling and home made whipped cream."

"Wow, that sounds delicious! I'm impressed. "

"Actually, mother did most of it, we just helped a little. She's an amazing cook."

Snow noticed the way Lillian looked at Regina, full of pride and adoration, the same way she had looked at her as a child. "She's a very talented woman."

Regina picked up on the wistful tone in Snow's voice and was anxious to shift the focus of the conversation away from herself. "Actually Lillian helped a lot. She made the apple filling herself. "

"Well, like mother like daughter." Snow playfully nudged Lillian's shoulder and the two giggled.

Regina watched and felt a slight twinge of jealousy. Snow was a lot better at playing nice than she was. "Well," she said to the group, guesturing toward the dining room, "shall we?"

The hungry group headed to the table, excited to taste the delicious smelling food that had been prepared.

"Wow," David exclaimed when he saw the meal, "this looks delicious! " The grin that hadn't left Henry's face all morning broadened and they each found a chair.

The way they sat around the table reflected the way they were all connected to each other: Regina sat at the head, closest to the window, with Henry to her right and Lillian to her left. Emma sat next to Henry and Snow next to Lillian with David between his wife and daughter, completing the circle.

Henry reflected on this as everyone dug in. He noticed that he connected his two mothers and that Lillian connected Regina and Snow and that all together they formed a most unusual family. "This is kind of cool," he mused out loud. Everyone listened as they continued to dish up. "It's like our first big family meal! "

Not everyone was as enthusiastic as Henry about their family connections. No one responded right away. Finally Snow stepped up, "Yeah, I guess it is, huh?" She smiled sweetly at her grandson. "Can you pass the whipped cream, " she added quickly to Emma, trying to shift the focus back to the food.

Emma passed the bowl without looking up from her plate; she was still lost in her own thoughts. Regina noticed and wondered why the blonde was being so pouty.

Henry took a bite of his crepe and pondered some more before he spoke again, "It's kind of funny how we're all related to each other. Especially Lillian. I mean, if she's Snow White's sister then I guess that makes her Emma's aunt?"

He looked around for confirmation, this time it was Lillian who answered him. She could tell that some of the people at the table were a little uncomfortable discussing this, so she tried to lighten the mood with a little humor. "Yep, that's me, aunt Lillian. " Everyone chuckled slightly, except for Emma. Lillian frowned, she had hoped that Emma would find it the most amusing, since she had called her that the night before.

"Then aren't you my aunt too, if you're my grandma's sister?"

"Great-aunt," Charming corrected as he scooped up a bite of his crepe. "And your sister."

"So weird."

Henry and David went on to analyze the many ways everyone at the table was related to each other while the rest of the group pretended to be completely focused on their breakfasts. When it finally seemed that everyone was done eating Regina saw the opportunity to end the geneology lesson, "Henry, why don't you take everyone into the living room while I clear the table."

Henry nodded and everyone started to get up.

"Let me help you Regina." Snow started gathering up plates to take to the kitchen.

Regina started to protest when Lillian stepped in, "That's alright Snow, you're a guest. I'll take those. "

She moved to take the plates from Snow who turned to the side keeping them just out of reach. "No, really Lil," she said with a smile, "I want to."

Lillian looked to her mother who smiled nervously at Snow, "Thank you. " She turned and headed into the kitchen, dishes in hand. Snow smiled at her sister and followed Regina out of the room.

Regina put the dishes in the sink, turned the water on and began rinsing the plates before loading them into the dishwasher. Snow added her dishes to the pile and then leaned back against the counter next to the sink. Regina continued with her task. It was obvious that Snow wanted to get her alone and not just help clear the table, but Regina had no clue why. It was quiet for a minute, the water running from the faucet the only sound.

"So, Lillian said she's going to be living with you now," Snow began.

"Yes, that's what she wants. "

"I take it things went well with Marie then? "

Regina nodded. "She was very supportive. "

"Hmm." Snow tilted her head thoughtfully. It was silent for another moment. "I envy you," she said quietly.

Regina's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and she looked up to meet Snows eyes.

Snow went on, "She's young. You still have time to really be her mother." She looked away and shook her head slightly. "Emma and I, we don't have that. We're practically the same age. I'm still trying to find a place in her life as her mother."

Regina looked down into the sink again. She wasn't sure how to respond. She knew it was her fault that Snow White never got the chance to raise her daughter, and for the first time she actually felt bad about that. They had more in common than she had realized.

"I'm sure you'll find a way," she said softly. "After all, a woman will always need her mother."

Their eyes met and a hopeful smile tugged at the corners of Snow's mouth. Regina returned the smile before turning to put the plate she was holding into the dishwasher. Snow thought that perhaps there was something in Regina's words that might apply to their relationship as well. She hesitated for a moment and then decided to ask. "Regina, do you think that we could..."

Regina could tell where this was going and she was not ready to have this conversation. "You know," she said quickly, cutting her off, "we should go in there with the others. I can finish these dishes later." She smiled quickly, dried her hands on a towel and left the room.

Snow stood there for a moment, a little whip-lashed. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "One step at a time, " she whispered to herself.

She left the kitchen and crossed the foyer to the living room where everyone else was waiting. Lillian had saved Regina a spot next to her on the love seat so Snow took the middle of the sofa between her husband and daughter. Henry was perched on the arm next to Emma who had her arms folded across her chest and was scowling at the coffee table. Everyone else was anxious to hear what Regina had to say.

Once Snow was settled David got things rolling. "That was a fantastic breakfast you guys, thank you! " Henry and Lillian grinned proudly and Regina nodded graciously. "Well, Regina, " he continued, "I believe there was something you said we needed to discuss. "

Regina took a breath, here it was, the moment of truth. "Yes. " She took Lillian' s hand. "As you are aware, Rumplestiltskin has expressed an interest in Lillian, and last night he gave me a clue as to why. " Everyone was listening intently, even Emma looked up and gave Regina her full attention. "You see," Regina continued, turning to look at her daughter, "like Miss Swan, Lillian has magic inside her." Snow's jaw dropped in surprise, and Emma raised her eyebrows; they hadn't been expecting that.

"Of course there are differences between the magic that lies within them: Miss Swan's is a pure source of white magic which she possess because she is the product of true love, the savior. This type of magic cannot be corrupted, whereas Lillian possesses a spark, an affinity for magic that is both limitless and potentially corruptible. And therefore, very attractive to Rumplestiltskin. "

"I don't understand. What does he want? " David was trying to see where she was going with this.

Snow could see it. "He wants to teach Lillian dark magic."

"Yes. "

David was still confused. "But why? He's the Dark One, he has all the dark magic he could ever need. Why does he want to corrupt Lillian? "

Regina leaned forward, "I'm not sure, but I believe he sees something in the future, some act of magic which will have a result that will benefit him somehow. His vision must tell him that this act will be performed by someone other than himself, and, for whatever reason, he believes Lillian will be the one to do it. "

Snow nodded. "It makes sense. He agreed to help you defeat Cora to protect Lillian, so that someday she will do whatever it is he wants done. "

"That's my theory. And of course we can't let him anywhere near her. I will not allow her to be used as a pawn in his game." Regina sounded fiercely protective. Snow and David agreed.

Emma spoke up, "So, what do we do about it? I'm assuming you have some sort of plan."

"There's only one thing we CAN do, " Regina said matter-of-factly. "We have to take Lillian back to the Enchanted Forest. It would be impossible to keep him away from her here in Storybrooke, and she can't leave town or she'll lose her memory of who she is."

"But what's to stop him from coming after her," Snow asked; a little sound of worry in her voice.

"Fortunately for us, he is searching for something in this world; something very precious to him. He wouldn't dare to go chasing across another realm until he finds it."

As Regina spoke something clicked in Emma's head and her heart sank as she slowly realized there was a problem with their plan.

Charming saw this as good news. "That will give her a head start of weeks, months, maybe even years; depending how long it takes him to find whatever it is he's looking for."

"Exactly. " Regina felt like this was going quite smoothly. She was sure they would agree to come. She turned to Lillian and smiled.

Lillian was feeling the same confidence and mirrored her mother's smile. She felt like the time was right to ask them. Emma was about to explain the problem when Lillian spoke. "My mother has agreed to come with me, and I hope...WE hope... that you'll agree to come with us." She looked around the group at each person. "ALL of you. "

Snow and Charming looked at each other. Henry's face lit up and he looked to Regina for confirmation. Emma was stunned at the request; things just got even more complicated.

Lillian continued, "I know it may sound like a lot to ask but what Henry said at breakfast is true: like it or not, we're a family. All of us. And we don't want to be separated. " She meet Snow's eyes and smiled warmly.

Snow looked at David for a long moment, the two of them seemingly having an unspoken conversation. Then she looked at Emma and Henry before meeting Regina's gaze. She was searching her step-mother's face for some indication that this was what she wanted as well. Regina smiled softly and nodded once. That was all Snow needed. She shifted her focus back to her sister. "Of course we'll come with you. We're family."

Lillian laughed happily, and Regina hugged her, relieved that it had worked out like they had hoped.

"Alright!" Henry was thrilled.

Emma's voice was low and serious, " I can't go. "

Everyone turned to look at her; the smiles fading from their faces.

Regina's heart sank. "What?"

Emma shifted uncomfortably under the semi-glare Regina was giving her.

"Emma..." Snow prompted her daughter to explain herself.

"I know what Gold is looking for because he asked me to help him find it. He's looking for his son. I owed him a favor and last night he called me to collect on it. I'm leaving Storybrooke with him to help him track down his son."

Emma's parents were stunned. Lillian looked as though she may cry; she knew that if Emma didn't come then neither would the others.

Regina was trying not to be angry, but this really messed up their plan. "When are you leaving? "

Emma swallowed hard. "Noon today."

Regina closed her eyes in an attempt to keep herself calm. That was only two hours away. Their head start went from being months or years to hours or days in a matter of seconds.

Snow shook her head, "No. No, I don't like this. I don't want you leaving town with him."

"I made a deal with him, I don't have a choice."

Snow looked her daughter directly in the eye and when she spoke her voice sounded hurt. "Why didn't you tell us last night?"

"Because I didn't want to worry you any longer than I had to. "

Snow looked down at the table and then up at Lillian whose eyes had begun to fill with tears. She felt awful. She knew how much this hurt her sister but she couldn't leave Storybrooke without Emma.

Regina was also watching Lillian and she hated to see how disappointed she was. But the fact remained that they still had to come up with a plan. "We'll have to leave today," she said gently as she put her hand on Lillian's back.

Lillian looked up at her mother with pleading eyes, "Please, there has to be a way we can wait for them."

Regina was about to respond when Snow beat her to it. "Your mother is right Lil. You have to get out while you can."

Tears were spilling onto Lillian's cheeks now. "But...I just found you."

Snow was crying now as well. She reached across the coffee table and took her sister by the hand. " I know. We won't be separated forever. Once Emma comes back, and it's safe, we will come."

"I don't know where we will be, " Regina explained as she fought tears of her own at the thought of being separated from Henry.

"It doesn't matter," Snow replied confidently. "We will find you. We will always find you. "

**I hope you liked this chapter. Rumple is up to something big...Please review, it's always nice to hear from you guys. P.S. I don't know about you, but I'm going crazy waiting for "The Miller's Daughter"! Looks like it's going to be intense. Long live Regina! **


	17. Chapter 17: The Breaking Point

Chapter 17: The Breaking Point

The rhythmic creaking of the porch swing was oddly soothing to Lillian as she rocked back and forth, staring absently at the ground. She had come outside looking for a quiet place to think and be alone after learning that she would soon be separated from her brother and sister for who knows how long. She was devastated but the repetitive motion and sound of the old swing had numbed the pain and allowed her mind to drift blissfully off into space.

The adults were gathered around the dining room table strategizing about everything from how Emma could stall Mr. Gold to how and where the group could try to reunite. Snow was trying to construct a map to help Regina navigate through the drastically different Enchanted Forest that now existed. Emma didn't feel like she was much help. During the short amount of time she had spent in the other realm she had learned that her methods for getting things done were ineffective and sometimes downright dangerous there; like when she almost got them killed by an ogre. She couldn't help much with the map either, since she had never seen the place before the dark curse had been cast. Deciding she wouldn't be missed, Emma left the room to look for Lillian. She knew the girl was upset and she wanted to make amends before she had to leave town, especially since there was no telling when they would see each other again.

The french door to the dining room opened with a creak and Emma stepped out onto the patio. Lillian saw who had come outside out of the corner of her eye but didn't look up. Emma had never been comfortable talking about emotions or feelings but she knew that Lillian was hurting and that she was at least partially responsible, so she decided to suck it up and smooth things over.

"Hey Lil," she began awkwardly. When Lillian didn't respond she tentatively made her way over to the swing and sat down, causing the swing to stop. Lillian felt annoyed at the interruption to the rythmn. She pushed off the concrete with her toes, resuming the soothing motion. Emma tried to make eye contact with the girl, but she refused. The blonde cleared her throat nervously and got straight to the point. "I'm sorry. Sorry we can't come."

Lillian shrugged her shoulders and replied flatly without looking at Emma, "It's ok."

Of course Emma knew it wasn't ok, but she figured Lillian would open up when she was ready. She tried again, "I feel bad; this really messed things up."

Still no response. Emma fiddled with a loose thread on her sweater and tried to think of something else to say. "Your mom's pretty mad," she began. "She hasn't talked to me, or really even looked at me since I told everyone."

Lillian tucked one of her legs underneath her. She wished the woman would just go back inside and leave her alone. But Emma went on, "I guess I should be used to her being mad at me by now. She usually just yells at me or tries to have me arrested."

Emma laughed at her own joke, but Lillian was not amused. She scowled at the ground irritated that the blonde was talking about Regina.

Emma continued, oblivious to the effect her words were having. "It's the freezing me out that is making me uncomfortable. Maybe I should talk to her, try to help her see things from my side-"

That was it. "Just leave her alone! " Lillian snapped and Emma was visibly taken back by her outburst. "She's upset, ok. You're not coming and so neither is Henry now. How would you feel if you had no idea when you'd see your son again? "

Emma didn't know what to say, she didn't expect Lillian to yell at her. "Lillian, I didn't mean anything-"

Lillian shook her head in disgust and cut her off, "Do what you've got to do Emma. But leave my mother alone!" She stood up quickly and stomped toward the door.

Emma's mouth hung open in shock. "Lillian," she called after the girl and then got up to follow her. "Lillian, wait!"

Lillian threw open the door and rushed inside past the startled group gathered around the table. Regina, Snow and Charming looked up to see her run by and up the stairs as Emma came in and called after her once more.

"Lillian!"

Emma's parents were looking at her with concern and confusion. Regina turned to watch Lillian go all the way upstairs and then turned back to face Emma, the same mixture of emotions on her face.

"What was that about? " Snow asked.

Regina's eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened. _What mess has she made now, _she thought while resiting the urge to send the blonde flying backward again.

Emma looked at Regina wearily and then up at her mother, "Nothing." She glanced at the Queen once more before turning and heading into the kitchen.

Regina watched her walk out of the room and caught Snow's eye before turning sharply to go upstairs to talk to Lillian. Whatever had happened between them had both of their mothers worried. As Regina climbed the stairs she took several deep breaths to calm herself and control the anger that had risen inside her when she saw that Emma had upset her daughter. She reminded herself that she was one of the good guys now and that she couldn't fly off the handle at every little thing.

Feeling like she had regained her composure, she approached Lillian's closed bedroom door and knocked softly.

"Go away." Lillian was laying on her bed with her face buried in her pillow.

"Lillian, it's me," Regina replied gently.

There was a pause as Lillian sat up and wiped tears from her eyes. "Come in."

Regina turned the nob and stepped into her daughter's room. Lillian was sitting cross-legged on her bed clutching her pillow.

"Are you alright?"

Lillian nodded but didn't look up. "I'm fine. "

Not convinced, Regina sat down on the bed next to her. "What happened?"

It was quiet for several seconds before Lillian answered. "I yelled at Emma." She lowered her head so that the pillow partially covered her face.

Regina raised her eyebrows, that wasn't what she had expected her to say. "About what?"

The girl looked up at her mother tentatively. "You."

"Me? Why?" She hadn't expected that either.

Lillian sighed and the story came spilling out. "She came out to apologize because they can't come with us. But then she started going on and on about how you were mad at her and freezing her out, like she couldn't understand why you'd be upset. And, I don't know, I just got so mad. I mean this isn't just about HER, it's about ALL of us. And it probably affects you and me more than anyone."

Regina listened. "And what did you say?"

"I told her to leave you alone. That you were upset and that you had every right to be. We can be mad at her if we want and she'll just have to deal with it. "

Regina had to suppress a smile. So, this is what it was like to have a teenager. So far in their relationship Lillian had always acted with a maturity beyond her years; this was the first time Regina had seen her act like the 16 year old girl she was. It was obvious that this was all about the fact that Snow and Henry would not be accompanying them to the Enchanted Forest.

Truthfully, Regina's initial reaction to Emma's news had been anger too, but she knew that this really wasn't her fault. And so instead of spending the little time she had being angry at Miss Swan she had decided to ignore her, and focus on getting Lillian as far away from Rumplestiltskin as possible. She could see now that her actions had been misinterpreted, and now she had to clean up the mess the Sheriff had made. Again.

"I'm not mad at Emma," she said calmly.

"You're not?" Lillian was surprised.

"No. I'm sad, but I'm not mad at her." Regina put her arm around Lillian's shoulders. "And I don't think you are either. Not really. I think you're disappointed and that you're just taking it out on her." Regina understood this reaction very well. It had been the way she had dealt with all of the disappointing things that had happened in her life. It was only recently, with Dr. Hopper's help, that she had been able to recognize that she had been assigning blame instead of actually dealing with her problems.

Lillian thought about her mother's words. She was incredibly disappointed. It had seemed like things were going to work out just as they had hoped... until Emma dropped that bomb. She shook her head, unwilling to let Miss Swan off the hook just yet. "Everything's ruined." Her lingering resentment was evident in her tone.

Regina responded gently. "But it's not Emma's fault. "

It was quiet for a moment until Lillian spoke again. "We had a plan." This time her voice sounded more sad than angry. She leaned into her mother's shoulder.

"I know."

Regina's voice sounded sad too. Lillian suddenly felt worried that she had offended her mother, that maybe she thought Lillian didn't want to go without Snow. "IAM happy that YOU'RE coming with me," she added, looking up at her.

Regina understood what Lillian was thinking and was quick to quiet her fears. "It's alright, you don't have to explain anything to me. I know how much it meant to you to have Snow come along. I feel the same way about Henry. It doesn't mean that we're not happy to be together, it just means that there are people we will miss." She gave Lillian's shoulder a squeeze and added, "Including Emma."

Lillian knew her mother was right; it really wasn't Emma's fault that Henry and Snow couldn't come with them right now. And she had faith that her sister would find her, just like she said she would, so they would be together eventually. Lillian also knew that Emma truly felt bad about everything. She would miss her and she felt badly about the childish way she had acted. "I'll apologize to her."

Regina smiled. "And I'll try to make it clear that I'm not angry."

Lillian shook her head, feeling ashamed of the way she had acted. "I don't know why I got so defensive about you. "

Regina looked her daughter in the eyes, "Because you have a good heart. And you were trying to protect me, just like you've been doing all morning. "

Lillian felt a little embarrassed. Regina knew exactly what she had been trying to do. She hoped her mother wouldn't mind. "I just don't want anyone to hurt you. "

This honest admission touched Regina deeply. The only other person who had cared this much about her happiness had been her father. Lillian reminded her of him so much. They had both loved her with a devotion she didn't feel she deserved, but would spend the rest of her life striving to be worthy of.

She pulled her daughter into a hug and fought back tears as she whispered into her ear, "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me." After a moment she pulled back and brushed a stray hair away from Lillian's face, tucking it behind her ear. "But," she said with a smile, "I think I can handle Miss Swan."


	18. Chapter 18: The Parting

Chapter 18: The Parting

Regina felt Lillian squeeze her hand before descending the staircase; she had overreacted in her quarrel with Emma and wanted to make amends before they parted. The Queen smiled as she watched her daughter leave, happy to see her acting like her usual self again. The clock in the foyer chimed once, indicating that it was 11:30. _Time's almost up, _she thought to herself. She crossed the hall to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She went to her closet, retrieved a box from the top shelf and withdrew a small leather case.

Her fingers tightened around the case as a sudden wave of frustration swept through her. She had been fighting these emotions since after breakfast when it was decided that she and Lillian would return to the Enchanted Forest alone. Each time it was the same: she felt sadness that she would be separated from her son, anger at the woman who kept them apart, guilt at her daughter s disappointment and frustration at the helplessness of her situation.

She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly through her mouth, a technique she had learned in therapy with Dr. Hopper. She had talked to Archie many times about these overwhelming feelings that often came over her, so much so that they coined a phrase to describe them: Evil Queen Impulses. He helped her recognize that these were the moments when she had a choice: to give in to these impulses and do what the Evil Queen would do, or resist them and do what Regina would do. At first she had scoffed at the idea, it seemed ridiculous to think of herself as two people, but as she tried it she came to see that it was true. She had to choose between two parts of herself, two paths, and it was moments like this when those paths were clear.

Fighting her Evil Queen Impulses this morning had not been easy; it never was when Henry was involved. She wouldn t say she had been avoiding him for the past hour or so, but she had definitely been keeping her distance; not because she didn t want to spend time with him, but because she didn t trust herself to resist what she was being tempted to do. The Evil Queen would never have sat there and let Emma Swan tell her that she had to leave her son behind; she would have taken him and Lillian and gone through the portal before the Charmings knew they were missing. _After all_, she had rationalized, _I am their mother. Who is Emma to decide everything Henry can and can't do?_

That was what hurt the most: that Emma didn t even discuss it with her; she just decided that Henry would be staying. Even after what she had done the day before, Emma still didn't trust her. _What else do you want from me? What more do I have to do to earn a say in my son's life?_ The unspoken question brought tears to her eyes.

Even though it had been difficult, she had resisted and said nothing to Emma about the subject. She knew that realistically, abducting Henry and taking him to the Enchanted Forest with her and Lillian would not yield the results that she wanted. Henry would be hurt and angry with her and she never wanted to see those emotions directed at her through his eyes again. So, she had let it go; deciding that it was for the best, and turned her focus to getting Lillian to safety. And then Emma struck again! When Lillian burst through the door upset Miss Swan very nearly found herself on the receiving end of a nasty curse. It had taken great effort for Regina to restrain herself; another wave of anger swept through her at the thought of it. But once again, her children helped her resist. She knew that lashing out at Emma would not get her what she wanted or make her children happy; it would only drive them away from her and make the Charmings distrust her again. The best thing she had going for her was that they respected what she had done in defeating Cora and defending Storybrook, and she couldn't toss that all away in a moment of weakness.

Taking another deep breath in through her nose, and out through her mouth she felt the anger leave and she was able to think clearly again. She recognized that her children were the key to her transformation from bad to good. She wanted to be someone they could love, and trust and to do that she had to get along with the rest of the family; that was absolutely certain. She may not care much for David or Snow or Emma but her children loved all of them, and so she would have to find a way to make it work; anything for Henry and Lillian.

A soft knock at her door pulled her away from her thoughts. "Come in."

Henry peered around the door, not wanting to disturb his mother. She could see in his eyes that he was hesitant to enter the room; probably because he was worried that she was plotting something against Emma.

"Henry, I was just thinking about you. Come in!" She tried to sound as cheerful as possible to ease his worries.

She met him between the doorway and the bed and put her arm around his shoulders, guiding him to the edge of her bed. "I wanted to give you something." They both sat down and she handed the leather case to him.

Henry visibly relaxed as his curiosity overcame his anxiety. He examined the case, "What is it?"

"It's something I have been holding on to for many years. Now seemed like the right time for you to have it."

The boy unfastened the latch and felt inside. His eyebrows rose as he felt smooth metal with his fingertips and removed the treasure from its case. In his hand was a gold ring with a large oval shaped piece of amber in the center and delicate etchings along the band. When he held the ring up to the light he could see an image in the center of the amber; it was an apple tree, amazingly detailed for how small it was, and the trunk of the tree looked like a knight s sword.

"Cool," he whispered with a smile as he continued to inspect the ring.

"I had this made when I was pregnant with Lillian, along with a matching locket which I gave to her and this necklace for me. She held up the pendant that hung around her neck. We each have something that can remind us of each other; our family." Henry looked up at his mother s necklace and then back down at his ring before slipping it onto his middle finger. "Even though we will be apart, we can still feel connected every time we see these."

Henry stared at the ring. Tears began to blur his vision and his throat felt tight with emotion; he swallowed hard and sniffed once. Regina could tell he was close to tears. She put her arm around him again, "Oh, sweetheart." He turned toward his mother and wrapped his arms around her as the tears began to flow. She tried to soothe him while tears poured down her own cheeks; the sudden rush of emotion bringing her Evil Queen Impulses dangerously close to the surface. She held her son tighter as if his presence in her arms could keep them at bay.

"I want to come with you," he sputtered.

Her defenses weakened slightly at his emotional plea. "I know. I know." _In through the nose, out through the mouth._ The temptation to take Henry and run was still nagging at her but she stayed strong. _He would hate me for it, _she reminded herself. _Lillian would be so disappointed and Emma would never trust me again._

He was growing up so quickly, and yet sometimes he still seemed like a little boy. They had slowly been growing apart for the past few years, so his show of emotion just then touched her heart and made her feel oddly happy. She could see that some of the damage that had been done to their relationship had been repaired, enough that he would truly miss her; and that meant the world to her. Henry was quieting a bit and she felt her resolve returning. She pulled back slightly and lifted his chin so she could see his face.

"I know how much you want to go to the Enchanted Forest, and I know that it will be hard to be apart, but I promise you that it won t be for long. As soon as Emma comes back from helping Mr. Gold you will all come there with Lillian and me. And then we ll be able to have adventures and you can be the hero you ve always wanted to be."

Henry sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He nodded, understanding that he had to wait.

Regina smiled at her son and smoothed his hair before kissing the top of his head. "That's my boy."

Another soft knock at the door made them both look up. David gently pushed the door open, "Sorry to interrupt, but Emma's leaving if you want to come say goodbye."

"Of course, we ll be right down." Regina smiled at the prince as he turned to leave. She and Henry cleaned themselves up and joined the others in the foyer.

Emma stood in the foyer with Lillian and her parents; her mother had been fussing over her all morning, wanting to make sure she had everything she needed, and now it was time to say goodbye. Emma hated goodbyes, she had endured so many in her life, but she didn't hate them for the same reasons other people did. For her goodbyes usually meant starting over, building a life from scratch again. She wasn't used to having people who loved her, and depended on her; people who she could come back to. This goodbye was different. She had a family now, a real family, and leaving them was harder than she thought it would be.

As Regina and Henry joined the group gathered near the front door Emma tried to judge by the Queen's face whether she was angry or not. Regina was stoic as usual, and Emma couldn't decide either way. She reached out and touched Lillian's arm warmly, happy that they had smoothed things over. "Hey, don't learn too much magic without me."

Lillian laughed softly, "You'd better hurry then; I'm a fast learner." Emma smiled and pulled the girl into a hug.

Henry was the next in line. Emma bent down and looked her son in the eyes, "I'll be home soon, ok?" Henry nodded and hugged his mother and she spoke softly into his ear, "Everything is going to be ok. "

Regina stood next to Henry, her face showing very little emotion. The two women stared at one another for a few seconds, neither one sure of what to say. Emma spoke first, "I ll try to hold him off as long as I can."

Regina understood that as Emma's attempt to make peace; the promise to protect Lillian and an apology for the situation. "Thank you. Be careful Miss Swan." She smiled softly, trying to convey that she accepted.

The blonde returned the smile. "You too."

As Emma turned to walk away Regina called her back, "Emma," she turned to face the Queen again. "Bring our son to me, please."

Emma couldn't believe her ears; she knew how hard that must have been for Regina to say. The argument about who was really Henry's mother had always been fierce between them. She appreciated the gesture and wanted to reciprocate, "I will, I promise."

Regina smiled again, a little bigger this time, and Emma moved on. Snow hugged her daughter tightly. "Call me when you get there, ok?"

"Alright," Emma agreed obediently. She looked around at the group one last time before turning toward the door David held open for her. As they made their way down the front walk Charming put his arm around his daughter's shoulders affectionately. He would drive her to Mr. Golds shop and make sure they got on the road ok; _because that's what dads do_, she thought. And at that moment she couldn't have been happier to have her's with her.


End file.
